Arthichoke & Aragula salad



Background:
Nothing really exciting, actually. Just wanted to have a guilt-free alternative to a heavy lunch, and those veggies at Cold Storage were really good-looking.

Ingredients:

• Aragula (rocket) leaves - 1 part
• Iceburg lettuce leaves - 1 part
• 1 small head of broccoli
  
• Artichoke antipasto, preserved in oil - 3-5 artichokes to taste, sliced thickly
• Focaccia bread - a 1"x4" slice, torn roughly
• 100g shaved ham
• Balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons
• Dried terragon 1 tablespoon
  
• Canned corn kernels, 1/2 cup
• Salt & pepper to taste
  

The method:

1. Wash & dry the rocket and lettuce leaves
2. Cut broccoli into bite-sized chunks, then blanch in boiling water until just tender and cool off in tap water
3. Combine all the ingredients except the vinegar and dried terragon in a salad bowl, and top off with a sprinkle of salt and generous amounts of pepper
4. For the dressing, mix 3 tablespoons of the oil that the artichoke was soaked in with the balsamic vinegar and terragon.
   
5. Pour dressing over and serve!

This salad tastes all artichoke-y and somewhat Mediterranean. If you're looking for something more chunky and heavy, I would suggest adding salted feta cubes and crumbles of hard-boiled eggs.

Posted by R. on Sunday, July 20, 2008 at 6:27 AM | Permalink