Okay ladies, I need some help. We've been tasked with bringing a salad for Thanksgiving dinner. We will be with our good friends (our son's godparents, so they are 'family' for us) , wonderful Italians from Long Island where my husband hails from.
Here's what else is on the menu, just for some big-picture balance:
Italian Thanksgiving
Soup (probably minestrone from past experience)
Mushroom rissotto with sheeps milk cheese (think slightly sharper flavor)
Pancetta-wrapped pork loin
and probably a few other things I am unaware of...
So, for salad, wondering if a green salad with pears, sweetened dried cranberries and maybe gorgonzola would work? The host family is deathly allergic to nuts(and I just don't do seeds b/c they don't seem fond of those), so nothing that route. I don't really like salad, and my dear husband isn't much of a cook, which is why I'm asking for second opinions....
Any advice? Thanks!
After first question, editing to add that my son will be the only child there... so we don't need to factor in the uncultivated palates, so to speak. And if someone has a substitute for the gorgonzola, let me know....
Thanks for the heads-up about the cranberries. I will read packages diligently (always do when we bring food out to them!).
I like the suggestion of Caprese salad, alas, they are doing fresh mozzarella and basil for appetizers already.
You can sub crumbled goat cheese for the Gorgonzola. It's milder and creamier than either Gorgonzola or blue cheese.
You could always do a caprese salad-fresh mozzerella, sliced tomatoes and Basil with balsamic and olive oil. Christmas colors and very Italian! Your salad idea sounds very yummy too!
I think your idea sounds great! I want that salad at my dinner!
I love salad with pears ! The only thing I would be careful of is the dried cranberries . They are sometimes made in a factory that processes nuts . Also, kids usually don't like the gorgonzola cheese. Maybe you could make the salad and add the cheese there after the kids get theirs. Sounds good ! Happy Thanksgiving !
How 'bout a caprese salad? Might be refreshing to Italians amidst all the traditional American fare.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/tomato-mozz...
:)
Maybe a nice Caesar salad then?
My first thought was the gorgonzola salad you mentioned, as that is what we are bringing.
What about: greens, red onion sliced thin, crumbled gorgonzola cheese, dried cranberries, and if you want a little crunch, add croutons instead on the nuts, or fresh pomegranate? (you could do pomegranate instead of cranberry too). Or you could do chopped honeycrisp apples instead of the cranberries and pomegranates. Serve with balsamic vinegar or vinaigrette. I have tried all these combos and they all taste similar and very good.
or, the other staple salad we bring is
greens, cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, croutons, feta cheese, kalamata olives and a vinaigrette- we like the sun dried tomato vinaigrette Kraft makes.
Also, based on how flavorful all the menu items are, a very basic green salad would be good. Feta and gorgonzola cheese are very flavorful so I think it would be wonderful even to just do greens, tomato, sliced cucumber, and whatever else you want to throw in (sliced onion, maybe shredded carrots) with a couple of bottles of salad dressing- maybe ranch and a vinaigrette- for everyone to choose from.
Right now the red pears are divine. We have been adding them to salads for the last few weeks. We have used Blue cheese, Chevre goat cheese, Fresh shaved Parmesan. They have all been amazing. I purchase the Girards, Champagne dressing. Divine.
We add toasted pecans.. Maybe you could have them on the side for those that would like to try them.
Your salad sounds tasty!
My go to salad is baby spinach, seedless cuke chunked, halved grape tomatoes, chunked feta, chick peas. Squeeze over it fresh lemon juice and evoo...salt and fresh ground pepper. Put a lid on...shake...refrigerate. It is actually better if is marinates for a while.
Delish!
Have a great holiday!
*********************************************************************************and sliced green onions!!
I wouldn't but Blu cheese on it unless you know everyone likes it. But I would say spinach roman dried cranberries cornbread croutons (make or buy cornbread cut into cubes and toast in oven with olive oil salt pepper some garlic and maybe dried sage or rosemary until nice and crispy) maybe some blood orange segments then do a blood orange and lemon juice dressing juice orange and lemon whisk in olive and put in a container to shake up and dress salad there. A also say put shaved red onion that's been soaked in ice water on the salad as well
Every year we always have a salad to add to our Thanksgiving spread, this year I am in charge of salad, so this is what i plan on making. Not sure if it is an "Italian" based salad but it is:
romaine lettuce
strawberries (cut in halves)
red onion
And for the sauce it is:
sour cream
mayonnaise
sugar
vinegar
milk
And then you caramelize 1/4 cup of sugar with slivered almonds, after it has hardened sprinkle them about the salad. It is HEAVEN!
yes do pears and either gorgonzola or goat cheese. If you want to get crazy, try a panzanella salad. Here's a recipe for one
http://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/autumn-panzanella-s...
