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Serves
4 large or 8 small servings
Author Notes
We've had a lot of picnics at the Botanic Gardens this summer partly because it is so close and so fabulous but mainly because our yard is a horrible dirt pit and it has been hot hot hot. I need to either pack our picnic early in the day and assemble it there on a blanket in the grass or pick up a pile of snackables on the way. Wanting to use the lovely chard in our garden (and satiate my seemingly incurable need for pickled things in salads) I decided to layer a big salad in a jar. The dressing and pickled onions would go on the bottom to keep the greens from getting soggy. And either way the chard would hold up longer than some flimsy lettuce. I added in some crumbled blue cheese to play off the tangy vinaigrette and some toasted pecans to help balance the sweet and pungent flavors. Once there, we dumped it into a big bowl, tossed and served and everything was as it should be. We ate it as a side, but it would be a good meal on its own or topped with chicken or steak. —savorthis
Ingredients
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1
small red onion, thinly sliced
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1
small jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)
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1/2 cup
sherry vinegar
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1/4 cup
water
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1 tablespoon
sugar
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1/2 teaspoon
salt
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6
dates, pitted
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2 tablespoons
walnut oil
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1 teaspoon
lemon juice
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4 cups
hearty greens (escarole, chard, kale) and arugula or similar
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1/2 cup
pecans, chopped and toasted
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2 ounces
crumbled blue cheese (optional)
Directions
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Simmer vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pot until sugar is dissolved. Add onion and jalapeño (if desired) for several minutes until onions are soft. Let sit a few minutes, then remove onions with a slotted spoon placing into the bottom of two medium containers.
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Add dates to vinegar mixture and steep until softened. Pour dates and vinegar into a blender, add lemon and pepper and blend until smooth pouring walnut oil slowly to emulsify. Pour dressing on top of onions.
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Pack greens on top of dressing layering in cheese and top off with nuts. Refrigerate until ready to pack.
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