Watercress And Persimmon Salad With Champagne Vinaigrette Recipes

WATERCRESS SALAD WITH PERSIMMONS AND HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together shallot, orange juice, vinegar, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in oils until mixture is emulsified; season with salt and pepper.
• Add red endive and watercress to bowl with dressing; lightly toss. Add hazelnuts and transfer salad to a large chilled platter. Place persimmon wedges and cheese around edge of platter; serve immediately.

WATERCRESS AND PERSIMMON SALAD WITH CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Whisk together vinegar, shallot, zest, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.
• Peel persimmons and cut into 1/3-inch-thick wedges. Toss watercress with persimmons and enough vinaigrette to coat, then season with salt and pepper.
• Do Ahead
• Vinaigrette can be made 1 day ahead and chilled.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND WATERCRESS SALAD WITH CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring once halfway through, until the squash is just tender and golden, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cover to keep warm.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, shallots, lemon zest and ginger. While whisking, slowly add the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil in a slow, steady stream until the dressing is thickened and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, in a large mixing bowl, toss the watercress, warm squash and pomegranate seeds with the vinaigrette until coated; transfer to a serving platter.
• Serve while the squash is still warm.

CURLY ENDIVE, PERSIMMON, AND APPLE SALAD

Steps:

• In a salad bowl, combine shallot, vinegars, and a pinch of salt.
• Peel and slice persimmons into 1/4-inch wedges. Whisk oil into shallot-and-vinegar mixture, and taste for acidity, adjusting as necessary. Add persimmon slices, lightly season with salt and pepper, and toss. Add endive and apples. Season with salt and pepper, and gently toss to combine. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

PERSIMMON AND POMEGRANATE SALAD WITH CRUMBLED RICOTTA AND POMEGRANATE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the watercress, frisée, persimmons, and shallot. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, tossing with your hands to dress the salad lightly and evenly. Divide the salad equally among chilled plates. Top with the ricotta and pomegranate seeds.
• Pour the pomegranate juice into a small pot and set over medium-low heat. Cook until the juice has reduced to 1/4 cup and is thick and syrupy, roughly 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• In a small mixing bowl or mason jar, combine the cooled pomegranate syrup, champagne and balsamic vinegars, and olive and canola oils; season lightly with salt and pepper. Whisk or shake to blend and dissolve the salt.
• Persimmons
• Persimmons are one of those fall fruits people often don't know what to do with. It's important to understand there are two kinds of persimmons: Fuyu (the kind you can eat right away), which is small and somewhat squat, and Hachiya (Japanese), which is shaped sort of like an acorn. Beware; if Hachiya persimmons are not completely ripe, they make your tongue do funny things! For this recipe I use Fuyu, which you can eat when firm, are crisp and sweet like an apple, and are really easy to work with. The shiny, pumpkin-colored fruit ranges from pale golden-orange to rich reddish-orange. Generally, the darker the color, the sweeter the taste.

WATERCRESS SALAD WITH RED ONION AND CHOPPED EGG VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Vinaigrette: Mix together the vinegar, capers, mustard, salt and pepper.
• Whisk in the olive oil.
• Add the chopped onion and chopped egg and stir just to mix.
• The vinaigrette can be made up to two hours ahead of serving time and left at room temperature.
• Salad: Heat the oil in a medium, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
• When quite hot, add the bread cubes and cook, stirring, until crisp and golden, 3-4 minutes.
• Remove and drain on paper towels.
• The croutons can be made 2 hours ahead of serving time
• cover loosely with foil and leave at room temperature.
• Place the watercress in a large bowl and toss with enough of the dressing to coat the sprigs lightly.
• Season with salt to taste.
• Arrange 1/4 of the watercress on each of four salad plates.
• Sprinkle each serving with some croutons and drizzle lightly with additional vinaigrette.
• Season each salad with some freshly ground black pepper.

WILTED WATERCRESS SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss watercress and onions; set aside. In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon; crumble and add to watercress mixture. To the drippings, add brown sugar, vinegar, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce; bring to a boil. Pour over salad and toss to coat; serve immediately.