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Balsamic-Roasted Grape Salad
Join us for a fresh twist on salad with our Balsamic-Roasted Grape Salad! You’ll learn to roast grapes and cabbage to perfection, toss them with hearty farro, creamy goat cheese, and homemade poppyseed dressing for a dish that’s full of flavor and texture.
This is the last class in our “Cooking at Every Stage” series where we prepare specific recipes designed to meet the nutritional challenges faced by women at each life stage. Chef Christa will be joined by our own Chef Diana for this class and discuss the post-menopause stage.
Recipe
Balsamic-Roasted Grape Salad
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Salad:
● 3 cups black or red grapes
● 1⁄2 head of green cabbage, cored and sliced into 1⁄2-inch slices
● 1⁄2 yellow onion, very thinly sliced
● 3 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, separated
● 3 tablespoons olive oil, separated
● 4 cups spring mix or baby kale
● 2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
● 1 cup cooked farro
For the Poppyseed Dressing:
● 2 tablespoons maple syrup
● 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
● 1 tablespoon minced shallot
● 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
● 1/4 cup olive oil or neutral oil like avocado oil
● 1 1/2 teaspoons poppyseeds
● 1/4 teaspoon salt
● Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions:
1. Season the Salad Fixings:
Preheat the oven to 400oF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
On one tray, toss the grapes with 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and one
tablespoon of olive oil. On the other tray, toss the cabbage and slice onion
with 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season
both the grapes and the cabbage and onions with salt and pepper.
2. Roast the Grapes and Cabbage:
Place both trays in the oven. Cook the grapes for 10 minutes, until just cooked
and starting to burst. Remove both trays from the oven, stir the cabbage, and
replace the cabbage tray in the oven for another 5 minutes, until well-cooked
and starting to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Make the Poppyseed Dressing:
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the maple syrup, apple cider vinegar,
minced shallot, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil,
whisking continuously until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Stir in the
poppyseeds. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
4. Assemble the Salad:
Place the spring mix or baby kale in a salad bowl and drizzle with some of the
poppyseed dressing. Taste a leaf, then add more dressing if desired. In a
serving bowl or on a platter, scatter the roasted grapes, roasted cabbage and
onions, and cooked farro. Top with the dressed greens and crumbled goat
cheese.
Recipe
Cauliflower Bisque with Rosemary
Croutons
Servings: 6-8
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Cauliflower Bisque:
● 1 large head cauliflower, cut into approximately 2-inch florets
(approximately 8 cups)
● 1 medium white onion, medium diced
● 2 Tbl. olive oil
● 4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
● 1/2 tsp. salt
● 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
● 1 pinch red pepper flakes
● 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
For the Rosemary Croutons:
● 2 cups 1-inch cubed brioche
● 1 Tbl. unsalted butter
● 1 Tbl. olive oil
● 1/4 tsp. salt
● 1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
● 1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
Instructions:
1. Sweat the Veg:
Heat a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and, once the oil is
shimmering, add the onions. Adjust the heat so the onions are sweating and
avoid browning. Sweat the onions for 5-7 minutes stirring often. Add
cauliflower florets. Continue to sweat the mixture for approximately 20
minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Simmer the Veg:
Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and stir to coat. Add broth and bring to
a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes and test for doneness by piercing the cauliflower
with a paring knife and if the knife easily pierces and releases the mixture is
ready to proceed to the next step.
3. Puree:
Carefully strain the mix over a large bowl and place the cauliflower mixture
into a blender for a super smooth puree or a food processor for a more
textured consistency. Add just enough broth to allow for proper puree.
Re-combine the pureed mixture with all of the broth, and add cream if using,
bring to simmer, adjust seasoning and serve or cool and store for later use.
4. Make the Croutons
While the soup simmers, make the croutons. Preheat the oven to 350oF. Place
brioche cubes into a medium sized bowl. Melt butter and olive oil in a small
sauce pan. Add salt, pepper and rosemary and immediately remove from
heat.
Drizzle oil/butter mixture over brioche cubes and toss to coat. Spread croutons
out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, about 8-10
minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. Cool and use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.