Feature No. 3 | Spring 2008

Green Cuisine Recipe:
Food Dance Cafe's "Square Dance" Salad

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This fresh spring salad is a crowd-pleaser at the Food Dance Café. Combining local baby salad greens with caramelized onions, warm gooey goat cheese, sweet-tart cherries, and crunchy nuts, it’s practically a “square” meal all by itself! Chef Stanley uses pine nuts and Michigan dried cherries, but you could substitute any dried fruit and nuts you like. The caramelized onions and the vinaigrette can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until shortly before they are needed.

Return to the Green Cuisine home page for a slideshow featuring Chef Stanley and Michigan farmer Dennis Wilcox, along with information about the solution Wilcox has found to extend his cold climate’s growing season for salad greens.

Square Dance Salad

  • 8 cups mixed baby greens (preferably local and organic)
  • 8 ounces fresh goat cheese or cream cheese
  • ¼ cup toasted bread crumbs
  • Caramelized onions (see below)
  • Balsamic vinaigrette (see below)
  • 4 tablespoons Michigan dried tart cherries
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted

Divide the cheese into eight balls and roll in bread crumbs to coat. Warm the cheese balls and the caramelized onions (if prepared ahead) in a pie pan in a 375° oven for about 8 minutes, until the cheese is warm but not melted.

In a large bowl, toss fresh mixed field greens with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the leaves. Divide among plates and place warmed cheese balls and caramelized onions on each salad. Sprinkle with dried tart cherries and pine nuts, and serve.

For the caramelized onions:

  • 2 medium yellow onions, sliced
  • 4 ounces butter

Melt butter in sauté pan, add sliced onions, and cook over medium heat until soft. Cover pan and reduce heat. Cook slowly, stirring once or twice, until onions are nice and brown but not burned, about 20-30 minutes.

For the vinaigrette:
This will make enough dressing for approximately 8 salads.

  • 2 whole firm heads of garlic
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey mustard
  • pinch of salt
  • fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • 1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup cold water

To roast the garlic, cut the top half inch off each head to expose the garlic cloves, place cut side up in an oven-proof dish, and drizzle with a little olive oil. Pour about ¼ inch of water in the dish, cover with foil, and bake in 375° oven for 20 minutes, or until soft and golden brown. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze out all the softened garlic cloves and mash to a paste with a fork.

In a bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oils until the mixture is emulsified and slightly thick, then whisk in cold water to thin. If not using immediately, refrigerate and bring back to room temperature shortly before using.

Serves 4.

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