Tasting Spoons

Every time our family gets together for a big confab, there are always logistics – the date, the time, who can bring what, and what’s convenient for which family, depending on soccer games, and traveling requirements. Originally our daughter Sara and her family were going to bring salad, but with the heat and a two hour drive, she thought that likely wasn’t a good idea, so we switched – she bought a big fancy sheet birthday cake (and tried to keep it out of the sun in the back of their car) and I made the salad, but used her recipe.

Although we eat at Soup Plantation now and then (their salad bar is par excellence), I’d never had their summer lemon salad. Sara had raved about it last summer, but somehow we missed the window of opportunity and it was gone by the time we went there. Sara had the recipe in her head: spring mix (“you know, Mom, that big bag from Costco” she said), pecans (“I make your recipe, Mom, for the peppered pecans instead), dried cranberries and gorgonzola and this lemonade dressing. She said 1 ½ cups mayo, 1 cup of lemonade concentrate, sugar and Dijon. That’s it. She didn’t give me specifics on the sugar and Dijon, so she added more mustard once she tasted it. I added too much sugar, I think, but it was fine. I found the recipe today on the ‘net, and it has more specific quantities and uses a spicy candied pecan. It’s a “copycat” recipe, so we don’t know for sure if it’s Soup Plantation’s version, although on the ‘net it indicates the recipe came from an institutional restaurant magazine.

It was easy enough to put together. The dressing took about 2 minutes to mix up. I did make my peppered pecans (took about 10-12 minutes, I’d suppose). After crumbling the blue cheese (I had that on hand, so didn’t buy Gorgonzola) it was a simple matter of tossing it together just before serving. It’s a delicious salad – everybody loved it – there was none left. We had friends over for dinner the next night and served it again, with the leftovers from the big family dinner. I still have dressing, and will make this salad again in the next few days. I’ll add some regular head lettuce to it, though. The spring mix is so fragile – I think the dressing could stand to have some more sturdy lettuces. After 5 minutes the salad is wilted, so really do toss it the very last thing before dishing it up. It’s tart and sweet and crunchy. A lovely side for a summer’s evening.

Summer Lemony Green Salad

Recipe By: Supposedly a Soup Plantation recipe, served only in the summer months.

Servings: 10

8 cups lettuce leaves — fancy spring mix, or a mixture

1/2 cup pecans — “peppered pecans”

1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese — crumbled, or blue cheese

1/4 cup dried cranberries

SUMMER LEMONADE DRESSING:

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1 cup frozen lemonade concentrate — thawed

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon sugar

1.  In a bowl combine the dressing ingredients and whisk (wire whisk) until completely mixed.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

2.  In a large salad bowl combine the lettuces and crumbled cheese, then pour on some dressing.  Sprinkle the pecans on top.  Don’t add too much dressing - try less and taste as you go.  Serve immediately!

I’m not including the nutrition on this one - it’s not bad, but it assumes you use all of the dressing on a small salad, so it’s waaaay off. 

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