salad
By Lisa Bryant

We’re making a light dish packed with fall flavors!

Chef Mark Salter of the Robert Morris Inn in Oxford shows us how to prepare Farmers Market Wild Mushroom Salad with Smoked Bacon, Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash, Crumbled Goat Cheese, Toasted Cashews, Dried Cranberries and Spiced Apple Cider Vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

  • 1lb farmers Market Greens (your choice)
  • 2 table spoons olive oil
  • ½ cup diced smoked Bacon
  • 12oz mixed farmers Market Wild Mushrooms
  • 1 table spoon chopped diced shallot, 1 clove finely chopped garlic, 1 tea spoon chopped fresh thyme.
  • ½ cup dried Cranberries
  • 1 each butternut squash (peeled and cut into small cubes)
  • 1 table spoon olive oil plus 2 table spoons grade A maple syrup
  • 1 each 11oz log crumbled goat cheese
  • ¾ cup roasted cashews
  • Spiced Apple cider vinaigrette
  • 1 cup local apple juice
  • 1 table spoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 table spoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon fall spices (cinnamon, allspice and ground ginger)
  • 1/3 cup blended oil (90% veg oil 10% olive oil)
  • Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Method of Preparation:

  1. Pour 2 table spoons olive oil into a pre heated frying pan then add the diced apple smoked Bacon.
  2. Cook for 1 minute before adding the Sliced farmers Market mushrooms followed by the chopped shallots and garlic and fresh thyme. Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper, remove from the pan.
  3. In a separate frying pan add the 1 table spoon olive oil, followed by the diced butternut squash seasoning with salt and pepper. Deglaze with the maple syrup and cook for 1 minute.

Dressing:

  1. Whisk the apple cider together with Dijon mustard, the lemon juice, honey and the apple cider vinegar.
  2. Slowly whisk in the blended oil. Season with fall spices, kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

Set up:

  1. Season the farmers Market greens with salt and pepper. Add the spiced apple cider vinaigrette and gently toss until the leaves are coated with the dressing.
  2. Carefully arrange in a bowl, top with the sautéed bacon and mushrooms, finish with the crumbled goat cheese, maple roasted butternut squash, roasted cashews and the dried cranberries