I like a salad that’s versatile; and this salad?
Well, it’s got versatility written all over it!
The original recipe, from the barefoot contessa, calls for frozen artichoke hearts and a basil and champagne vinegar dressing, and it is wicked nice as a salad or as a bruschetta toppingl; but I’ve found that the basic concept works every darned bit as well with canned artichoke hearts and a different kind of vinaigrette, like the one you use half of to make your pasta salad, for example.
INGREDIENTS
Salad:
•2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
•5 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
•Olive oil
•Sea salt
•Black pepper
•Aleppo pepper
•Red onion, thinly sliced
•Capers, drained
•Red pepper, diced
•Sun-dried tomatoes, julienne cut
•Fresh parsley, minced
•Shaved BellaVitano cheese
Vinaigrette:
•2/3 cup cider or red wine vinegar
•3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•3/4 cup veggie oil
•2 tsp salt
•1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
•1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
•2 tsp honey
•1/2 tsp dried oregano
•1/2 tsp dried basil
•1/2 tsp dried thyme
•1/2 tsp dried parsley
Optional:
•Garlic roasted shrimp
•Alabama white sauce (details to come)
Heat your oven to 350º.
Arrange the artichokes and garlic in a single layer in a large, flat-bottomed roasting pan.
Season with salt, black, and Aleppo pepper to taste, then drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat, and pop into the hot oven for 20 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
Make the vinaigrette by combining all of the ingredients, except for the oils, in a blender jar and pulse to combine. Combine the olive and veggie oils together (you can use all olive oil, but the vinaigrette will solidify in the fridge) and, with the blender running, slowly stream into the jar until it is absorbed and the dressing has emulsified.
Note: this is twice as much vinaigrette as you’ll need for the salad. I used the other half for that nice sun-dried tomato and feta cheese pasta salad, but it works a treat over your everyday romaine salad as well.
Place the roasted artichokes and garlic in a large bowl with the sliced red onion, red pepper, sun-dired tomatoes, and capers. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to combine.
You can serve it as is, spoon it over sliced French bread and top it with the shaved cheese then serve at room temp or pop it all back into the hot oven to melt the cheese just a wee, tiny bit…
Or…
You could toss in some leftover garlic roasted shrimp and drizzle a dab or three of this kinda cool white barbecue sauce Rich thought looked good (it is).
Details on that, tho’, Monday.