ANTIPASTO SALAD WITH BOCCONCINI & SPICY GREEN OLIVE TAPENADE

There I stood in the produce department at Whole Foods, crippled with indecision.  Before me sat a shelf full of neat rows perfectly round, pale green heads of iceberg lettuce, wrapped in plastic.  Although the recipe I was shopping for called for iceberg lettuce, I suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious about buying some.  I was after all in the Weho location,the store filled with attractive, toned and well-dressed, hip people, their baskets filled with organic peaches, vegan ice cream, and plastic tubs of kale salad.  I wasn't at the dumpy Pavilions down the street, where it would be totally acceptable to buy such a trashy vegetable. A Whole Foods shopper wouldn’t make a salad out of iceberg. They’d use frisee or mache or arugula or mixed baby greens. An iceberg salad is something you get at a crappy diner or family style restaurant. It’d be adorned with too-thick slices of cucumber, pale wedges of tomatoes and boxed croutons and come accompanied by gloopy ranch or thousand island dressing. Nothing against ranch or thousand island.I love them both, but in secret. 

For a moment I worked through the recipe in my head trying to decide if romaine would be a suitable substitute but in the end, I quickly snatched a head of iceberg and tucked it away in my basket, hoping no one would see and judge. Searching for justification I reasoned that I was making a Nancy Silverton recipe, and if SHE said it was okay to use iceberg, then why should I be so ashamed to buy it.  I mean, she's Nancy-freaking-Silverton.  High priestess of bread and cheese. The lady knows food. Adding to the pressure was the fact that I was buying the ingredients for a dinner Annie and I were making for our dear friend Heather and her new boyfriend Timothy, WHO’S A PROFESSIONAL CHEF. Oh and he only works at one of my favorite restaurants, The Hungry Cat. For those who don’t know, The Hungry Cat is owned by David Lenz, the husband of Nancy-freaking-Silverton’s rival for Queen of the LA restaurant scene, Suzanne Goin!!! And we all know my feelings on La Goin.

The idea of cooking for a chef who’s associated with one of my most important culinary influences was just too much.  For several days I was a nervous wreck.  Fortunately Heather requested grilled pizzas, something Annie and I have done many times and we both are confident in the reliability of the results.  The flavors of the salad I knew would be a hit.  I mean, good salami, little creamy balls of bocconcini and that woodsy, oregano tinged vinaigrette, how can you go wrong with that?  But it was the damned iceberg that kept me feeling uneasy.  Would the new boyfriend silently judge me for using iceberg?

Once Heather and Timothy arrived, Annie and I gave them a rundown on the meal.  I noted that the salad came form Ms. Silverton.  Timothy emphatically stated how much he loved her.  I was instantly put at ease.  I no longer felt insecure.  I knew dinner was going to go well, after all.

INGREDIENTS
(for the vinaigrette)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 heaping tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

(for the tapenade)

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons green olive tapenade

1/4 cup finely chopped pepperoncini

1/4 cup good olive oil

(for the salad)

4 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce

1/2 pound thinly sliced hard salami, sliced into 1/4 inch strips

5 bocconcini per person

12 green olives

pinch of dried oregano

4 to 6 large basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade

METHOD

First make the vinaigrette.  Stir together the lemon juice and red wine vinegar in a small bowl.  Add the garlic and oregano.  In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the olive oil.  Season with the salt and pepper.

Next make the tapenade.  Stir together the green olive tapenade, pepperoncini and olive oil in a small bowl.

Next assemble the salad.  In a large bowl, gently toss the shredded lettuce and salami with a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette.  Be careful not to over dress the salad.  In fact, it should seem a little under-dressed.

To plate, mound the lettuce and salami mixture on four plate, dividing it evenly.  Arrange five bocconcini close together, like eggs in a bird's nest, in the middle of each pile of lettuce.  Spoon the tapenade around the cheese then drizzle with a little more of the dressing.  Sprinkle with a pinch of dried oregano and shower with the basil. 

The oregano is earthy, the basil fresh and light. The bocconcini are milky and mild, their blandness perfectly balanced by the salty, savory salami. The tapenade, while also salty, has a briney, bright flavor with an undercurrent of heat from the pepperoncini. And as much as I want to deny the appeal, icebergreally does have a great, watery crunch. 

The salad is a great start to a meal, such as the grilled pizzas we did or I can see it being served before a big bowl of pasta, or it can be a completely satisfying meal unto itself.

Serves 4

Comments

[[eatingclub] vancouver]

LOL about the iceberg lettuce prejudice, shopping in Whole Foods. Iceberg lettuce does have its charms though. I was mildly surprised that Heston Blumenthal chose it as the side to his perfect steak. This salad looks gorgeous and iceberg does indeed find a place here.

[Penis Enlargement]

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