Salad from a Jar

January 7, 2018

1/7/18

Bright, fresh greens make a salad look appealing, but the addition of several jarred condiments can really make the flavor shine. I always have olives, sundried tomatoes, marinated vegetables (like red pepper or artichoke), and whatever other edible goods that people ingeniously preserve in jars stocked in my pantry. I can spend hours in the center isles of the grocery store browsing the perfectly grilled asparagus that sit ready-to-eat in a glass container, or the marinated eggplant that huddles in a can, waiting for the pop of the lid.

During the winter, fresh vegetables in the produce isle lay half-browned and limp as they surrender to the hostile weather. Produce hauled from warmer climates look stale and lifeless, travel-weary and homesick. A vegetable seized in its prime and enshrined in a vessel where it infuses with seasonings and oils is a great option to wake up fatigued winter produce. To make this salad, check your pantry.

I started with fresh spring mix, arugula, and broccoli, and then added a sprinkling of hemp hearts, a good shake of capers and a few slices of olives. Hemp hearts add an unexpected grassy flavor and subtle crunch. The addition of capers and olives needs no explanation. These salty geniuses make everything taste better; it’s a no-brainer. I twisted open a jar of bruschetta and added a few generous spoonfuls. The diced tomatoes were flecked with oregano and basil and shining with extra virgin olive oil. The best way to save a tomato in the winter is to turn it into bruschetta. The herb-infused oil from the jar also makes excellent salad dressing. I love a creamy texture in my salad so I added a spoonful of hummus, whose garlic scent cooperated nicely with the bruschetta. Garlic gets along with everyone. I usually top my salads with some sort of nut, and today it was slivered almonds. I finished everything off with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and enjoyed the colorful fruits of the earth even as the ground lay barren outside.

Salad from a jar 2

Pantry Salad

What you need

  • 1 cup spring mix greens
  • 1 cup arugula
  • ½ cup chopped broccoli
  • 1 TB hemp hearts
  • ¼ cup kalamata olives, sliced
  • 2 tsp capers
  • ¼ cup bruschetta
  • Olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 TB hummus
  • 1 TB sliced almonds
  • salt and pepper

What you do

-Add all ingredients and except hummus and almonds to a Tupperware container that comes with a lid. Drizzle with oil and vinegar and shower with a few cranks of pink himalayan sea salt (or whatever salt you like). Put the lid on, and shake it up until well combined. Pour into a real bowl if you don’t mind extra dishes. 

-Top with hummus, sliced almonds, and plenty of pepper.

(Optional side of Road 2 Ruin Double IPA)

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