Harvest Winter Salad

Back when I was pregnant and we were choosing names for our children, I would say potential names, out loud, over and over again, trying to imagine myself saying it to a baby.👶🏻 Meanwhile, while I was spending months studying baby name linguistics, my husband, took it upon himself to identify every potential nickname for each name that I suggested.  I'm not sure if he thought that strangers would instinctively call our son, Carter the farter, or if he thought he might actually live into the reality of the nickname. 😅💨  I was focused on finding a name that was beautiful and meaningful, and their dad's primary concern was that their name didn't rhyme with a body part or function.  ​#sorryhairylarry

Names are important.  People names and recipe names.   The working title for this recipe was apple, sweet potato, cranberry, burrata salad with pomegranate, white balsamic vinaigrette and sugared nuts.   Too much? 😅  I thought about shortened versions but I felt like every ingredient was equally important and I couldn't bring myself to leave any of them out.😂  At the end of the day, I decided to leave the ALL out the ingredient words and replace them with harvest and winter to describe this amazing salad.  I'm still not sure that it accurately describes the complex flavors and textures in this delicious salad but it's the best that I could come up with.   Please feel free to send me all of your recipe name ideas.  Clearly - I need help. 

Harvest Winter Salad
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
flaky sea salt
3-4 cups spring greens
1 apple, sliced thin
1 sweet potato
1/2 cup dried cranberries
8 ounces fresh burrata cheese torn​

Dressing
1/4 cup 100% pomegranate juice
1/4 cup cranberry pear white balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
salt + pepper to taste

Combine walnuts, pumpkin seeds and maple syrup in a medium size skillet. 

Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes and mixture becomes caramelized.

Remove mixture from skillet, transfer to a plate.  Sprinkle with salt and let cool.

Cut sweet potato into very thin slices using a food processor. 

Arrange on a greased, foil lined baking sheet and spray with olive oil spray.

Bake 20 minutes at 400.  Flip and bake halfway through.  Cool.

Arrange greens on a serving platter. 

Dip apple slices in sprite and let dry.  Arrange over greens.  

Arrange sweet potato slices and cranberries over greens. 

Whisk together dressing ingredients.  

Sprinkle with candied nuts.  

Just before serving, tear burrata into pieces and arrange over salad.  

Drizzle salad with dressing.  

​Ciao!

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