Market Salad [Recipe Recycle]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  I love to eat salads this time of year.  This salad is inspired from my friend Jenny and her husband Adam.  Her husband works at a local restaurant and when they have get togethers, this salad usually makes an appearance.  It is on the menu of the restaurant where he works and while I never order it there, I love eating it at their house.  I love how beautiful it looks on a plate, the gorgeous colors and mostly, the cornbread croutons.  They really make this salad special.

This salad is more of an idea than a recipe.  I do have a specific recipe for the dressing, but the salad is what you want it to be.  This is my version of the salad that Adam makes.  I am sure that is not even close to what he makes, but I like it.  Use whatever is fresh and available.  I would like to think that this salad is called Market Salad because it is made from whatever looked good at the Farmer’s Market that morning.

For the dressing (which I also use for the chicken marinade sometimes):

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 cloves chopped garlic
3 tablespoons orange juice
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Put everything in a Mason jar except for the olive oil.  Close the top and shake until everything is combined.

Pour in olive oil.

Shake again until mixed.

You can make this a few days ahead and keep in the fridge.  I use maybe 1/3 for the salad.  You can use the leftovers on another salad or it makes a great marinade for chicken.

The salad:

2 heads romaine lettuce shredded
2 cups arugula
1 bunch Italian parsley (I really like to use herbs as a salad green.  I love to use torn parsley in my salads)
1/2 cup baby tomatoes
3 green onions sliced
1 avocado diced (I add this right before I serve it so it does not brown)
1/3 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 ears corn taken off of the cob (I threw it in raw)
2 chicken breasts
Cornbread Croutons

Throw everything into a bowl, except for the croutons.  Toss with a little of the dressing.  You can always add more, but cannot take away, so go easy with the dressing.  I really do not like a salad drenched in dressing.  Scatter some croutons on top.

Eat and enjoy.

You can tell that I did.