A great pairing for the botanical flavor of crushed juniper berries (other than the gin in my dry martini!) is that of fresh thyme. The slightly lemony flavor of the thyme paired with the herbal flavor of the crushed juniper berries is a lovely combination on grilled meats, roasted vegetables, in artisan cocktails, and even homemade vinaigrettes like this one. As a side for dinner last night, I decided to make a juniper berry and fresh thyme vinaigrette for a bowl of bitter greens. Sliced purple radicchio and sliced Belgian endive make for a colorful and flavorful salad that is made even more beautiful with the homemade vinaigrette and a few roasted pistachios for added color and crunch.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Radicchio & Endive Salad with Juniper Berry-Thyme Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- 1 head of radicchio, outer leaves removed, rest cored, thinly sliced
- 2 Beligian endive, outer leaves removed, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup shelled pistachios (roasted and salted)
- For the vinaigrette:
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 Tablespoon coarse grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
- Toss the two lettuces and the psitachios together in a salad bowl. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together its ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve drizzled over the tossed salad.
Tagged: Belgian endive, bitter greens, bitter lettuce salad, coarse grain mustard, fresh thyme, juniper berries, juniper-thyme vinaigrette, pistachios, radicchio, Salad, vegetarian, white balsamic vinegar, Winter salad
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