Season’s Eatings

Bright colors, bold flavors, and contrasting textures define this seasonal Winter Salad. Here, you’ll find the ‘three c’s’ of crowd-pleasing salads — crunchy, crispy, and creamy. Fresh, crisp arugula and mixed greens are tossed with pine nuts, ripe pears, plump cranberries, and tangy goat cheese. Finish this Winter Salad with my Pear Parsley Vinaigrette. 

Pine Nuts

Pine nuts are the edible seeds of certain species of evergreen trees. Their flavor is mild and sweet. Harvested worldwide, their extraction process is laborious relative to their size, so they’re not as widely available as their super nut cousins, almonds and cashews. For a little tree nut, they bring big health benefits to recipes. Per 1-ounce serving, pine nuts have nearly 4 grams of protein; 16-17 percent of the RDA of Vitamin E, zinc, and magnesium; 13 percent of Vitamin K; and 9 percent of iron. Studies have proven pine nuts help lower cholesterol. Their high Vitamin K and magnesium content supports vision and bone health, may lower the risk of certain cancers, and stabilize mood.  

Roasting pine nuts before serving them deepens their nutty crunch and releases a sweet, piney aroma. Roast them yourself by tossing them in a single layer in a dry skillet over medium heat until they turn golden brown. Or roast them in the oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees for 4 minutes, watching closely to ensure they don’t burn. 

Cranberries

Harvested from chilly bogs in the fall, cranberries are a traditional holiday superfood popularized by mega-producer Ocean Spray (“Yes You Cran!”).  Cranberries are too tart to eat raw. Instead, they’re excellent cooked in sauces and jellies or dried. Mixing dried cranberries with vinegar and water and briefly microwaving or simmering them on the stovetop makes them sweet and plump. Cranberries are best known for supporting urinary health. They also contribute to gut and immune health, with 16 percent of the RDA of Vitamin C per serving (about one cup). 

Cranberries have numerous antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, including high Vitamin A and K content and phytochemicals (plant-based nutrients that protect the body). These include anthocyanins in deeply colored fruits and vegetables, flavonoids for fighting cancer and inflammation, and phenolic acid for offsetting free radicals.  

Makes 6-8 servings 

Ingredients:

• 4 cups arugula
• 2 cups mixed greens
• 2 each ripe pears, seeded and diced
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• ¼ cup roasted pine nuts (see method above)
• ½ cup fresh goat cheese
• ¾ cup Pear Parsley Vinaigrette
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Whisk the water and white balsamic vinegar in a small glass bowl, then add the cranberries. Microwave for 1 minute or until plump but not bursting. Set the cranberries aside.
2. In a large salad bowl, layer arugula and mixed greens. Top with pears, cranberries, pine nuts, and cheese.  Drizzle the dressing over the salad.  With large salad forks, toss the greens until the dressing is well distributed.  Taste and adjust with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Serve and enjoy!