Warm Winter Salad...yes warm.

I was all in the middle of posting another recipe but I have put that on hold to give you all this one. THIS IS FABULOUS!! I swear it's just as mind-blowingly flavor packed as the original panzanella but it's warm! Which makes it great for winter. Who wants to eat salad in the freezing winter months? Coming home from outside shoveling snow to eat......salad?!?!? No thank you! I personally want warmth and hearty flavors. Unfortunately, I also have an aversion to broth based soups. I love cream based soups but broth based: chicken noodle, french onion, minestrone, nope, not interested. But, that's really for another post.

I found this in a Martha Stewart magazine about the Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. I wish I had known about this bakery when I was there this summer. Alas. But thanks to Martha, I can enjoy some of the recipes from there, including this amazing salad.

It's the perfect answer to my need for hearty flavors and warmth. I was a little worried about making it since the original recipe called for lettuce that my husband has termed 'spiny lettuce' and categorically refuses to eat because it stabs him in the mouth. He had a bad experience once. Long story.

Anyway, digressing again. In order to make it more palatable to him, I did change the recipe a little bit. I also didn't have all the ingredients for the original dressing but mine came out great so here it all is...

Warm Winter Salad

Herb Vinaigrette

1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Combine, mix thoroughly. Set aside.

Salad

1 loaf really good Italian or sourdough bread, sliced thickly
3 small Belgian endives, leaves separated
1 bag butter lettuce/radicchio mix
1 bag spring mix greens
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Either in the oven or on a grill pan, toast each slice on both sides until golden brown. I added a smidgen of butter to each side and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper for extra oomph. While that's toasting, get all the lettuces together for a rinsing. Pat dry. Toast the hazelnuts also.

Bad idea.

I thought it'd be a great time saver to just toss the nuts onto the grill pan with the bread. I was wrong. It took forever trying to scoop them up off the pan before they burned. They tasted great but I'd still recommend you toast them in the oven on a cookie sheet. Much easier to handle.

When the bread is done toasting, remove and slice into roughly 1 inch cubes.

Now toss the lettuce onto the hot grill pan. I'm not kidding. I got the idea from that Brewery I visited in Monteray Bay. Although the lettuce won't get the charcoal flavor from a grill pan, it does heat up the lettuce. Only leave the lettuce on the grill pan for two minutes, turning once.

 
Remove lettuce to plates. Top with bread pieces, hazelnuts, bacon and Parmesan cheese.

Stir dressing and pour over the top of each salad. Serve immediately.

YUM!

 If anybody does make this, I'd love to know what you think. Oh, and hubby said this is definitely a 'keep' recipe, despite the weird lettuces. He did really appreciate the omission of the spiny lettuce also.