Recipe Courtesy of Chef Varnedoe of Baton Rouge’s Restaurant IPO, as seen in Louisiana Kitchen & Culture magazine
On my most recent trip home to Baton Rouge, one of the places on our agenda was Chef Scott Varnedoe’s highly acclaimed restaurant, Restaurant IPO. Located in the trendy downtown district of Baton Rouge, this restaurant features upscale and unique Louisiana cuisine at its best. Award winning and highly lauded, I have been reading a lot about the Chef himself and the type of food he loves creating.
In the recent July/August issue of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture magazine, they featured some of Chef Varnedoe’s yummy recipes. This one for a ‘Louisiana Strawberry & Spinach Salad’ is not to be passed over. Baby spinach, crumbled blue cheese, sweet Louisiana strawberries (am I getting your attention yet?), tossed together with candied pecans and a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette that is out-of-this-world delicious. The vinaigrette is unique because it is a puree of fresh strawberries, balsamic vinegar, oil and strawberry preserves. A gorgeous summertime salad that is as unique as it is incredibly stunning.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
‘Louisiana Strawberry & Spinach Salad’
Ingredients:
- Recipe Courtesy of Chef Varnedoe of Restaurant IPO in Baton Rouge, LA
- As seen in Louisiana Kitchen & Culture magazine
- For the salad base:
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 12 large Louisiana strawberries, sliced
- 1/2 lb. blue cheese, crumbled
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the strawberry balsamic vinaigrette: (makes 3 cups)
- 1 pint Louisiana strawberries, hulled
- 1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup strawberry preserves
- salt and pepper
- For the candied pecans: (makes 2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large egg white
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups roughly chopped pecans
Directions:
- Toss baby spinach with desired amount of the vinaigrette and salt in a salad bowl. Taste; adjust seasoning. Evenly divide among 4 salad plates. Top evenly with fresh sliced strawberries Garnish each salad with candied pecans, crumbled blue cheese, and freshly ground black pepper.
- For the vinaigrette:
- Combine strawberries, vinegar, sugar, oil and preserves in a blender. Puree until smooth. Taste, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Chill up to 2 weeks.
- For the candied pecans:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease a baking pan with butter; set aside. Beat egg white in a mixing bowl with a whisk until foamy. Add sugar and salt; continue whisking until opaque. Add pecan halves; toss to coat. Arrange pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes or until a deep golden brown. Cool completely on baking sheet; store airtight for up to 4 days.
Tagged: baby spinach, balsamic vinaigrette, balsamic vinegar, Baton Rouge, blue cheese, candied pecans, Chef Varnedoe, Louisiana, pecans, Restaurant IPO, Salad, side salad, spinach, spinach salad, strawberry, strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, strawberry preserves, strawberry-spinach salad
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