Clementine, Avocado and Pistacchio Salad

 Clementine, Avocado and Pistacchio Salad

Easy enough for everyday dinner; tasty enough for a holiday dinner. Clementines and avocados are in season, beautiful, and delicious. Pistachios are always welcome, and a delicious, nutritious, addition to any salad. Whip up a simple tangerine pomegranate vinaigrette, and you've got yourself  one heck of a delicious salad.

Let's start here, with the base.

 Lettuce. I like a blend of butter lettuce and arugula. But, you can use whatever you have on hand. Spring mix, spinach, etc. This is a salad that does well when the lettuce doesn't overpower the other ingredients. Softer lettuces work well.  Lay down a bunch of clean, dry greens.

Zest 2 clementines into a prep bowl. Just the orange part, please. White = pith. Pith = sour; no bueno, no good, makes you want to spit it out. 

Add 2-3 clementine tangerines, sectioned, into the salad bowl. (May sub Mandarin oranges).

Halve and seed 1 large avocado. Dice and add to salad bowl.

Thinly slice 2 shallots or 1/4 small red onion. Sprinkle over salad.
Crumble up 1/2 of a package of Boursin cheese over the salad. Any flavor.

Toss a big handful of roasted, salted pistachios over the salad.

Season with Kosher (or sea) salt, and fresh cracked pepper, and finish with the Clementine zest.

Vinaigrette: 

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbls tangerine pomegranate vinegar (or raspberry vinegar, or pear vinegar, or heck, even some plain old sherry  or white wine vinegar).

Juice of 2 Clementines

Whisk

Slowly whisk in about 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil to emulsify dressing.

                                           Season with Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.

                 Taste!  If too tart, add a bit more olive oil,  or agave nectar or honey to taste. 

                       You  could also put all the ingredients in a jar and just shake it up.

Pour desired amount of dressing over the salad, and serve immediately. 

Dressed salad will not keep in the fridge. It will become a slimy mess overnight. If there are those at the table that do not want or like vinaigrette, serve the salad naked, and pass dressing on the side.

Ingredients:

1 head butter lettuce, washed and chopped

2 cups Arugula 

5 Clementines: 2 zested and juiced for dressing; 2-3 segmented into salad

1 large ripe avocado, chopped

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup roasted salted, shelled pistachios

1/2 package Boursin cheese, crumbled over salad

Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Vinaigrette:

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbls tangerine pomegranate vinegar (or raspberry vinegar, or pear vinegar, or sherry or white wine vinegar).

Juice of 2 Clementines

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

 If too tart, add a bit more olive oil,  or agave nectar or honey to taste.