Warm Salad Of Autumn Greens With Plum Vinaigrette Recipes

Steps:

• In tightly covered container, shake all vinaigrette ingredients until well blended. Makes 1 cup vinaigrette; use 1/3 cup for this recipe.
• In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette to boiling over medium heat. Cook mushrooms in vinaigrette 3 minutes; remove from heat.
• Add remaining salad ingredients. Toss 1 to 2 minutes or until greens begin to wilt. Serve immediately. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Peel the squash: First cut into two cross sections, scrape out the seeds, and place the squash, flat side down, on a cutting board. Work around the squash with a sharp knife or peeler, making sure to remove the layer of lighter colored flesh under the skin as well as the skin. Dice into 1/2-inch cubes to make about 1 cup (reserve any leftovers for another use).
• Arrange the diced squash and pears on a baking sheet and toss with the oil. Roast until browned, about 20 minutes; set aside at room temperature.
• Make a cross slit on the rounded end of each chestnut with a sharp paring knife. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, or until the cut sections on the bottoms of the nuts just start to curl. Peel the chestnuts as soon as they are cool enough to handle, as they will peel the easiest when hot. Cut into quarters and set aside.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Wrap the shallots in parchment paper and then in aluminum foil. Bake until tender and slightly caramelized, about 1 hour. Once the shallots are cool enough to handle, chop coarsely and set aside.
• To make the vinaigrette: In a large sauté pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy; transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve the fat in the pan. Once the fat has cooled slightly, strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a measuring cup that has a spout. in a blender or food processor, combine the mustard, honey, vinegar, thyme, and pepper and blend for 30 seconds. Slowly add the strained warm bacon fat and the oil through the cap of the blender or the feed tube of a food processor, blending until thoroughly combined Pour the vinaigrette into a large mixing bowl.
• Add the squash and pears, chestnuts, shallots, bacon, komatsuna, tatsoi, and mustard greens to the mixing bowl and toss with the warm vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Up to one week ahead:.
• In a blender or food processor, pulse the preserves, vinegar, and mustard until smooth. Continue pulsing and slowly add the oil until incorporated. Add the shallots, salt, and pepper; pulse briefly. Refrigerate in a bottle.
• Up to four days ahead:.
• Stem the spinach and chard (or kale), and cut the chard or kale into strips about 1/2 inch wide. Cut the bottoms off the frisée or escarole.
• Mix all the greens, wash thoroughly, and spin dry. Wrap loosely in damp (not wet) paper towels and store in sealed zip-top bags. They should stay fresh this way for 5 days.
• Just before serving:.
• Bring the dressing to room temperature. In a very large sauté pan (preferably nonstick), heat about 1 Tbs. of the olive oil over medium-high heat and add one-third of the greens, one-third of the nuts, and a bit of salt and pepper.
• Sauté 1 to 2 min., stirring all the time, until the leaves are slightly wilted. Drizzle a little dressing on them, toss lightly with tongs, and transfer the nuts and greens to a serving platter.
• Repeat with the remaining greens in two more batches, adding only enough olive oil to the pan as needed to sauté.