Chopped Vegetable Salad

Posted by Tiffany at unknown.com 11/24/2001 1:07 pm

For mustard vinaigrette
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup almond or safflower oil
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

For salad
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced fresh artichoke bottoms
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced green beans
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup diced radicchio
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels, uncooked
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced ripe avocado
1/4 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomato
4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
12 to 15 radicchio "cups"

To prepare the vinaigrette, combine mustard and vinegar in small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oils. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside. Whisk again when ready to serve.

To prepare the salad, in a small skillet, heat the oil. Season the diced artichokes lightly with salt and pepper, and saut? until al dente, about 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and let cool.

Blanch the carrots and beans by placing them in a fine mesh basket. Set the basket into a pot of boiling salted water, and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain, cool and add to the artichokes. Add the onion, radicchio, corn and celery.

When ready to serve, dice the avocado and the tomato and add to the other vegetables. Toss the vegetables with the vinaigrette, sprinkle with the grated cheese and toss again. Correct the seasoning, to taste.

Put each radicchio cup on a small cocktail plate. Mound chopped salad into each cup. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 regular portions, or 12-15 appetizer portions.