Two Amazing Salads for Spring

Word of warning, this is a semi-mammoth post!

I had quite the foodie-forager adventure this past weekend and even got two incredible spring salads out of it -- both of which will most definitely be reappearing in the near future. They're perfect for a dinner party when you're looking to impress with something as "simple" as a salad. But before the salad recipes, here's a quick run-down of this foodie-nutritionist's Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday, April 3rd

10am - 10K run in Central Park for charity...and yes, I'm still sore, but you couldn't have begged for better running weather

11:30am - hit the Union Square farmers market & grocery store on my way back from the run to grab ingredients for the beet salad I was tasked with bringing to a friend's dinner party that evening. A standard beet-goat salad? Far from it. Keep on reading for the recipe and to see how I made things a little more intriguing.

2pm - Met up with my friend David Malosh, who's quite the talented (and very humble) food photographer and stylist. Rocking my Ray-Bans in the sunny weather, David and I were bound for a fun-filled foodie tour of hipster Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Couldn't think of a better way to spend an afternoon.

2:30pm - First stop, a late lunch at Marlow & Sons. D - licious. I love the menu focus on daily specials depending on what's in season and what's available. I went with a sunny-side up egg served with greens, a few potatoes and of course I had to try out their infamous house-made sausage - made that long morning run totally worth it. (I'm a sucker for sausage, I know, it defies all "nutritionist" logic....thank goodness!).

3:30pm - A quick pop into Marlow & Daughters up the street (their sister marketplace and butcher). I snagged a tub of Salvatore's fresh ricotta cheese to pair with olive oil, red pepper flakes, fresh mint and fresh bread -- an easy, delightful appetizer for the Easter Sunday lunch/dinner I was invited to the following day. Phenomenal ricotta, though David makes his own apparently and could prove a serious threat.

4pm - Swing by the Bedford Cheese shop for a quick sniff (no matter how often I go in, it's still incredibly pungent). David insists I taste-test the Australian feta cheese. He knows his stuff, so it's in my fridge waiting to be used.

4:30pm - Last stop at The Meat Hook (aka "Brooklyn's Local Butcher") which boasts custom cuts of meat, house-made sausage and more. They're in partnership with The Brooklyn Kitchen (great kitchenware and sundries) and Brooklyn Kitchen Labs (cooking, baking and butchering classes). What'd I walk away with? A bottle of house-made balsamic and red wine vinegar - amazing and so cheap! - one of their infamous sausage links, had to try to it, and a baguette from Roberta's, the carb-worthy pizza/Italian joint in Buschwick. (I served the bread up with the fresh ricotta for Sunday's dinner and it was killer).

8pm -- Taking my friend's spacious open-kitchen by storm, I used my lovely beets to their max capacity. A perfect pairing with beef tenderloin and roasted fingerling potatoes dusted with truffle salt (my secret weapon)! Photo and recipe below.

Roasted Beet Salad with Pistachios and Creme Fraiche Dressing

serves 8

Preheat oven to 425. Clean and trim 6 medium beets (I used 3 red and 3 yellow for color contrast). Place in a small roasting pan with 1 inch water and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow beets to cool and rub off skins with your fingers or a paper towel (no one likes purple-stained fingers!). Cut beets into quarters or chunks and set aside.

Creme fraiche dressing: creme fraiche is a nice alternative to standard goat cheese. It's so light and creamy, you just a little to get a lot flavor and taste. Mix together 1/4 cup of creme fraiche, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, the juice of one lemon, 2 teaspoons of minced shallot, one tablespoon of minced chives, salt and pepper to taste and the zest of one lemon. Slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.

Watercress puree: this is somewhat of an extraneous step (ditch it if you're time crunched), but it adds a nice flair and great color when garnishing the salad. Watercress is at its peak in the spring and gives a great herby, fresh kick to a dish. Blanch 1/4 bunch of watercress in boiling water for 1 minute. In a blender, combine, watercress 2 tablespoons of olive oil, one tablespoon water, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon minced shallot and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth.

Now for the assembly...on a large serving platter or in a large salad bowl, place the remaining 3/4 bunch of watercress (tossed with 2 teaspoons olive oil and salt) on the bottom. Arrange roasted beets on bed of watercress and sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped and toasted pistachios on top. Drizzle the creme fraiche dressing lightly over top in a circular motion -- you'll have about a third of the dressing leftover. Finish with a few small dollops of the watercress puree and garnish with additional lemon zest and minced chives. Finito. Spring beauty fresh on your plate!

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Sunday-Funday, April 4th

After a morning pilates class, I headed home to prepare a lovely, sunny-fresh salad to bring to my friend Jen's Easter afternoon get-together. I knew herb-crusted rack of lamb would be on the menu and the prosecco would most definitely be flowing, so I figured a light salad would help keep things healthfully in check. I love the combo of fresh fennel and oranges, so that's what I went with. If you've never worked with fennel before, it's got a slight licorice flavor and is packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. It's great roasted or raw.

Roberta's bread and Salvatore's fresh ricotta with olive oil, fresh mint and red pepper flakes kicked things off with a simple afternoon appetizer.

Fennel, Endive and Orange Salad with Ricotta Salata

serves 8

1 bulb fennel, green stalks cut off (use the white bulb only)

1 head of endive, thinly sliced

3 oranges, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced (I used a combo of blood oranges and navel - packed with vitamin C and fiber)

1/2 cup fresh grated ricotta salata (it's a hard cheese that's slightly salty...great flavor and texture!)

2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots

1 tablespoon minced chives

Lemon Vinaigrette

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons minced shallots

juice of 1 lemon

1 egg yolk (yes, raw egg yolk...you'll end up with a smooth, creamier dressing without adding a ton of calories or fat --remember you're dividing it by 8 servings)

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the vinaigrette, whisk together mustard through salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking. Toss fennel, endive and oranges with 1/2 of vinaigrette in a large salad or serving bowl. Sprinkle ricotta salata and chives over top and serve.