The Early Spring Market Salad recipe from Brooklyn’s Thistle Hill Tavern is one of the best things we’ve tasted in the early days of this changing season. Chef Rebecca Weitzman was good enough to share the recipe with us, and it’s a perfect dish to hold us all over til the farmers markets start filling up with better seasonal produce (and yes, we live in NYC, and it’s been a damn cold winter).
In case you have the misfortune to not live in Brooklyn, now you can make it at home!
(Oh and since the recipe involves parsley, you can read up on it in our Guide To Herbs.)
Ingredients
salad
- 6 baby carrots, shaved very thin, lengthwise
- 6 beets, baby, roasted, peeled, and quartered
- 2 tablespoons Marcona almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon tarragon leaves
- 1 tablespoon cut chives
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
dragoncello sauce
- 1 cup parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup tarragon leaves
- 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
- 1/2 lemon, zest only
- 1/8 cup pecorino or parmesan cheese, grated
Cheese
- 1 ball strachiatella or burrata, sliced into four pieces. Lay lengthwise on plates and lightly season with kosher salt
Directions
For the salad:In a mixing bowl combine the carrots, beets, almonds and herbs and season with salt and pepper. Toss with olive oil and vinegar.
For the Dragoncello: In a food processor, pulse all ingredients together until they are finely chopped. Then slowly drizzle in 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, depending on how thick you like it. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
For Serving: On four separate plates arrange the cheese and place the salad over the top so you can see all of the contrasting colors on the plate. Drizzle dragoncello alongside and serve chilled or room temperature.