The perfect Fall salad using seasonal ingredients, paired with a creamy garlic dressing. Serves 4. |
INGREDIENTS
For the dressing:
- 2 tbsp Chef Laura’s Once Upon a Thyme spice blend
- 2 Cloves Chef Laura’s Roasted Garlic
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp agave syrup
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp sea salt plus more for seasoning
- 1/4 cup grapeseed safflower or other neutral oil, plus more for greasing
For the salad:
- 2 ears sweet corn, shucked and charred
- 2 large carrots peeled and julienned
- 3 heads of romaine or hearts of romaine, thinly sliced
- 1 medium zucchini thinly sliced and drizzled with lemon
- 1 bunch radishes about 6, thinly sliced
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup cambozola cheese
- 2 avocados thinly sliced
- 1 tsp Chef Laura’s Hot Chicks (to season chicken breasts)
- 2 boneless, skinless grilled chicken breasts
- 4 hard boiled eggs quartered
DIRECTIONS
- Make the dressing: combine Chef Laura’s Once Upon A Thyme, Chef Laura’s Roasted Garlic, vinegar, agave, mayonnaise or and sea salt in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add the oil and blend a few more seconds to mix thoroughly. If the dressing is too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is the consistency of a creamy dressing (I use about ¼ cup).
- Set aside or store. The dressing can be made in advance and stored for a week.
- Grill the chicken season with Chef Laura’s Hot Chicks blend. Grill each side in a hot skillet and finish in the oven (about 15 mins depending on thickness). Chef Tip (to test if chicken is cooked insert sharp knife and if juices run clear it’s done. If they are pink at all, cook longer).
- Char the corn: heat a gas grill or in the oven on broil. Brush the corn lightly with grapeseed oil and add it to the grill or pan. Char on all sides until the kernels are blackened in places and also a vibrant yellow in other areas, about 5 minutes total.
- Assemble the salad: on a large platter, scatter the romaine. Drizzle lightly with dressing, then arrange the zucchini, radishes, and tomatoes on top. Season the veggies lightly with salt to taste. Finally, crumble the cheese, and arrange avocado slices and hard boiled egg quarters in the salad. Serve immediately with the remaining dressing on the side.