Recipe: Levi’s Summer Salad

Ingredients

For the Salad

2 pears of your choice 

( Bartlett - softer fleshed, juicy and sweet, Anjou - slightly firmer flesh, sweet but not as juicy and had hints of citrus, bosc - firmer flesh, sweet like honey but not as fragrant, skin is a bit tougher.)

1 chayote

1/2 cup baby spinach packed

1 cup fresh raspberries (12 for vinaigrette and the rest for topping the salad)

1 cup cherries, pitted and sliced in any shape you desire

1/2 cup goat cheese

3 tbsp hemp seeds

1 Hass avocado , 1/4 inch slices

For the Berry Vinaigrette

12 fresh raspberries

3 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup strawberry jam or preserves

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp onion powder(

1/2 cup strawberry Zen golden balsamic vinegar (we love this one from Global Gardens. Free Shipping with code "Eatlikelevi" Through July 2023)

3 tbsp arbequina extra virgin olive oil

Prepare the Vinaigrette

In a medium mixing bowl, add raspberries, honey and salt. Using a whisk, mash the raspberries until thoroughly combined with honey and salt. Then add in the jam, mustard, onion powder and vinegar. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Slowly drizzle the olive oil one tablespoon at a time, whisking quickly to emulsify the oil. The result should be a nice, deep ruby red vinaigrette with small chunks of berries. This recipe makes just over one cup of vinaigrette, so you will have some extra that can be refrigerated and used for up to a week.

Prepare the Salad

To cut both the pear and chayote, first quarter them lengthwise, then while laying one quarter flat, cut at a 45 degree angle lengthwise to easily remove the core. Repeat with all quarters. Lay the cored quarter flat on the newly cut side and make thin slices lengthwise. Repeat for all quarters.

In a large mixing bowl, add in the spinach, sliced chayote and half of the sliced pears. Gently toss with 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette until everything is evenly coated.

Plating

On a round white plate, lay down and fan out a quarter of the avocado slices slightly off centered. Place down a quarter of the reserved sliced pear perpendicular to the avocados. Using a pair of tongs, place about a cup of the tossed salad mixture into the center of the plate, slightly overlapping some of the avocado and pear.

Spoon an additional tablespoon of the dressing over top and run the tip of the spoon around the plate to create nice streaks of sauce.

Top with goat cheese and hemp seeds.

Be creative. Place the cherries and raspberries organically around the plate and on top of the other components to create a work of art.

Serve.

Yields 4 servings of salad and 1 cup of vinaigrette.