Salad for Dinner

Usually I consider salad a good dinner option when the weather is hot and everyone is just too lazy to cook or even eat very much.  Today, however, the weather was dreary and wet and I decided to make my roasted vegetable salad.

I started by preparing the vegetables, which, like most of my meals, is the most time-consuming part.  I had a bulb of fennel, which I sliced lengthwise into about 1/2 inch strips; a red onion, which I cut in thick slices, about 6 small red and yellow sweet peppers, which I cut in half, and a sweet potato, peeled and diced.  I made sure everything was coated with a little bit of olive oil and well-salted, then spread out on cookie sheets.

Everything took approximately 40 minutes to roast at 400.  I grouped the vegetables according to density, so one pan needed a few minutes longer.  Meanwhile, I toasted some walnuts in a dry frying pan, defrosted a few shrimp, sliced some mushrooms and sundried tomatoes I had in the fridge,washed my greens (I had some mesclun mixed with arugula) and made my dressing.

I usually make this salad with a simple balsamic vinaigrette and sprinkle some blue cheese on top. Today I thought I would alter the flavor a bit, and since I had some ginger from another recipe, I decided to try an Asian dressing.  I didn't take this decision lightly, mind you, because it meant I would have to omit the blue cheese, since blue cheese doesn't blend well with those flavors.  Omitting cheese is never easy and, as a friend of mine says, should really be its own food group.

I sliced off a small piece of ginger and put it through the garlic press, then followed with two cloves of garlic.  This all went into a bowl with olive oil, rice wine vinegar, pepper, a few drops of sesame oil, and a splash of soy sauce.  I whisked it up, and it was ready to go.

The final step was to grill the shrimp, which took just minutes, and add them to the already assembled ingredients.  This salad really makes a beautiful presentation.  It is a salad of contrasts:  sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy, cool and warm.  The flavors blend well, and the sweet potato and walnuts are not only filling, but have very satisfying textures. 

My verdict on the Asian dressing?  Not bad, but I missed the cheese and the tang of the balsamic vinegar.  I will probably go back to the original recipe next time, but save the Asian dressing for another salad.