Harvest Salad

Book Update:  I started reading “Killing Jesus” by Bill O’Reilly (and some other guy).  Though only several chapters in, I am enjoying the book.  It is a lot of history that surrounds Jesus’ life that I wasn’t taught or simply forgotten about.  The writing is fluid and information easy to process.  When living in today’s modern society, it is easy to forget that indoor plumbing, hot water heaters, carpeted floors, nobody trying to kill your infant just for being born, etc.  are very recent modern technologies.  I tried to read “What Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast”, but after 3 pages I just couldn’t take it anymore.  Eat breakfast, exercise and do what needs done first.  Duh.  Maybe lots of people need to learn that… but just seemed pretty common sense to me.  Next, I tried to read Dr. Leman’s Building Kids Up Without Tearing Them Down.  I didn’t care for this book either – I don’t agree with some of his points though his philosophy in the beginning of the book is sound.

Recipe Update:   Love a copycat recipe?  This salad was GREAT.  Just a few ingredients that I never would have thought of putting together myself.  It is served in my favorite pizza place – Dewey’s Pizza.  It isn’t the same old same old pizza places like Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, etc.  They rotate a seasonal pizza and salad throughout the year and every pizza I have had from there is great.  They have a Meatball pizza and a Southwest Amish BBQ Chicken Pizza.  This is my favorite salad I have had there so far.  If you sign up to be a groupie on their website, you will receive a 50% off coupon once in a while.  I’ve only seen 2 for the year.  But, I order my favorite pizzas and freeze them (except the yummy Caprice pizza because that won’t freeze well).  Heat them up from frozen in the oven or convection oven and you have fresh tasting (half off) pizza in no time.  Though a word of warning: after reheating pizza from the freezer for two weeks because it is just so easy and fast, you may just get tired of eating pizza!

If you love a good not too thin, not too thick, easy to work with pizza dough, then try my copycat pizza dough recipe here.

Harvest Salad
serves 2

6-9 ounces field greens/”spring mix”
4 pieces applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons boursin cheese, cold and crumbled
6 dried figs
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (without the shell)
Apple cider honey vinaigrette (recipe below), or buy at the store

Dressing:
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 and 1/2 T dijon mustard
1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup apple cider
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 and 1/3 cup oil (vegetable oil)

1.  Divide the ingredients for the salad between two large bowls.  Top with the toppings in no particular order.
2.  Process all of the ingredients for the dressing BUT the oil in the food processor or blender.  Drizzle in the oil while the machine is running.  Apply to salad – of course this is much more than you need.  Store the rest in the fridge.

Recipe influenced by Dewey’s Pizza menu