Mediterranean Salad With Sculley House Vinaigrette
SERVES 4 TO 6
Directions
Vinaigrette
For the vinaigrette, combine the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, and garlic in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Close the lid and shake the jar vigorously to emulsify the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Salad
In a large salad bowl, toss together the lettuce and arugula. Drizzle with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and toss well. Divide the greens among chilled salad plates. Evenly distribute the artichokes, tomatoes, olives, and avocado pieces on top of the greens. Drizzle a little more dressing over each salad and finish with some freshly ground pepper.
Back in the early 1990s, my late wife Paula and I rented a beautiful house in Clifton, Ireland, called The Priory. Its manager, a wonderful woman named Gillian, shared with us a vinaigrette recipe so good that, once we returned home, Paula served it almost every night thereafter. Though we long ago started calling it Sculley House Vinaigrette, it should really be known as Gillian’s Vinaigrette. For special occasions, we always loved to serve it on a tossed salad featuring Mediterranean ingredients.
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Salad
1 head lettuce leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 handful baby arugula
1 (12-ounce) jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and, if necessary, cut into quarters
½ cup cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 Hass-style avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces