A salad for the last of summer’s bounty
Use this basic salad as inspiration for gorgeous greens and other garden offerings
Photo: Daytona Strong
This salad makes a nice complement to a meal, or dress it up with your favorite fresh veggies.
Daytona Strong
Taste of Norway Editor
When summer draws near to an end, I try to enjoy the last of the season’s produce as much as possible before the heartier ingredients of autumn replace them. There’s just something so wonderful about being able to eat vegetables with little to no cooking. With that in mind, I’m sharing with you today a salad I created a few years back to celebrate this moment before the shift in the seasons.
While you can follow it as-is, I like to think of this salad as an inspiration. Sure, you can feel free to follow the recipe exactly and use whatever ingredients you find at the grocery store. But if you have access to a market and are able to find some gorgeous greens and need something inspiring to do with them, then this salad might be just the inspiration you’re looking for.
Seasonal Greens with Cucumber and Almond
This recipe originally appeared in my article, “Nordic in the Northwest,” in the Sept. 3, 2013, issue of The Oregonian.
dressing:
2 tbsps. white wine vinegar
½ tsp. kosher salt
4 tbsps. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. fresh dill, roughly chopped
salad:
5 oz. mixed greens
1 3-in. piece cucumber (unpeeled), very thinly sliced
¼ cup slivered almonds
fresh dill, for garnish
To make dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and salt. Continuing to whisk, gradually pour in the oil until combined. Add the chopped dill and give it a quick stir.
In a medium bowl, toss the mixed greens with the dressing. Divide between four plates and arrange the cucumber slices attractively on top of each and sprinkle almonds over the top. Garnish with dill and serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Salad bar:
From simple side salads to ones hearty enough to make a meal, we’ve published a number of salad recipes at The Norwegian American over the years. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find on our website. Just head over to www.norwegianamerican.com and search for “salad” to find these and other delicious recipes.
• Norwegian Salmon Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette, by Christy Olsen Field, was published on Aug. 21, 2015: www.norwegianamerican.com/food/salad-for-dinner-nordic-flavors-in-a-refreshing-salad
• Chanterelle, Fig, and Blue Cheese Salad, by Daytona Strong, was published on Sept. 22, 2017: www.norwegianamerican.com/food/salad-changing-season
• Smoked Mackerel Salad with Radishes and Vinegary Cucumbers, by Daytona Strong, was published on June 29, 2018: www.norwegianamerican.com/food/salad-satisfying-enough-meal
• Kale Salad with Lemon, Almonds, and Nordic Cheese by Daytona Strong, was published on Feb. 15, 2013: www.norwegianamerican.com/featured/a-salad-with-a-taste-of-history
This article originally appeared in the September 7, 2018, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.
