Last week we had a dinner party at home and I decided to get a little fancier 
than usual with this composed salad that followed a cold seafood plate appetizer and preceded some beef tenderloin. I got the basic concept from a lunch at Café Daniel in New York last month. The plate was made up of a beet salad marinated in good vinegar and a touch of salt, baby arugula leaves tossed in good olive oil, thin slices of pear, a small chunk of goat cheese and a few salted walnuts. The plate had the sweet/sour flavor of marinated beets offset by the mildly peppery arugula, sweetness of pear, sharpness of cheese and the saltiness of the walnuts. Overall, I would say it was a nice mixture of flavors, textures and color… “fancy†but not hard to make at all. Garnish at the center of the plate is a roasted baby beet that was also edible.
4 Responses
Got a similar recipe minus the goat cheese but with balsamic vinegar and pepper. Actually it’s Jamie Oliver’s. Will try yours with the goatcheese next time. Glad to know that arugulas are actually available in Manila. Where do you get them?
the first thing that caught my eye are those arugulas!!
are those avalaible in Phils?
Yes, they grow them in Tagaytay and in greenhouses in Manila. Normally, they let them get too big but this one supplier picks them nice and small. They are available from Rustan’s Rockwell and at Santis stores. At Rustan’s they are about USD1.50 for a small bag that goes a long way. I love them.
mm, your salad plate looks beautiful! i was lucky enough to be able to grow arugula in my little vegetable garden. i love greens so much that i also plant indian mustard and mesclun.
the young daikon leaves is especially flavorful too… just
steamed and lightly seasoned with a mixture of sugar, salt, mirin, vinegar and soy sauce. it goes well with hot japanese rice and other side dishes.