I gab a lot about customizable recipes. I use the phrase for my basic cake recipe (which has more variations than Cher’s wardrobe) and often for my salad dressing. The simple formula of fat+acid+aromatic+thickener yields thousands of different flavors for your leafy greens. And now I have a new set to add to the list. Inspired by a traditional Italian antipasti platter, I dressed a salad perfect for the crisp Fall air. Draining a can of artichoke hearts, I dumped them into my blender and let the blades make a purée. Into the artichoke purée I whisked some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pitted black olives, and finely minced celery. After dressing the leaves in this mediterranean sauce, I topped the bowl with crispy pancetta (throw the meat in a pan over medium heat until brittle but not burnt). It was a perfect accompaniment to my meal of seared trout with pepita pesto.
Eat. More. Salad.