As a professional cook, there are tricks of the trade that I use at home. For example, I am hard-wired to figure out how to use the ingredients we have on hand, while they are fresh, to produce new, tasty dishes.
A good example is using vegetables from my weekly trip to the farmers’ market. I typically have ideas about what I’d like to get, but I also leave room to be inspired by whatever looks fresh and fabulous. Typically, I take my loot home, and I work my way through it for the rest of the week. Despite my best efforts, I always seem to end up with some “odds and ends” in the vegetable category. These “leftovers” are the perfect start to a Chopped Vegetable Salad, which makes use of vegetable odds and ends in a new, fresh way.
This colorful, marinated salad works well with almost any combination of vegetables. The vegetables included in the recipe are simply a guideline. You should feel free to use sliced radishes, zucchini, sugar snap peas, red onion – whatever is lingering in your vegetable drawer! The dressing relies on pantry staples – white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt and pepper – so buy them once and have them on-hand for future occasions. Fresh herbs are a nice addition, especially basil or parsley.
This recipe is from my days at Golden Door, so you know it’s coming at you from a fresh, tasty, good-for-you place. Enjoy!
