MAY 30 • 2024 | 35
J
N

continued on page 36

Ingredients 
Red Wine Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons finely diced shallots

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Croutons

½ pound day-old bread

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salad

½ medium red onion, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

¾ pound asparagus (about 1 bunch), woody 

ends removed

5 ounces mixed salad greens

Croutons

15 large mint leaves

3 ounces feta cheese

Preparation 
Red Wine Vinaigrette: In a small bowl 
or jar, let the shallots sit in the vinegar 
for 15 minutes to macerate, then add 
olive oil, a generous pinch of salt and 
a small pinch of pepper. Stir or shake 
to combine, then taste and adjust salt 
and acid as needed. Dressing can be 
made three days ahead and kept in a 
sealed jar in the refrigerator.
Croutons: Preheat the oven to 400° 
F. For softer croutons, remove the 
crusts from the bread. Cut the loaf 
into inch-thick slices then cut each 
slice into inch-wide strips. Cut or tear 
each strip into bite-sized pieces. On a 
baking sheet, toss the croutons with 
the olive oil to coat them evenly, then 
spread them out in a single layer. Do 
not crowd the croutons.
Toast croutons for about 18-22 
minutes, checking them after 8 
minutes. Rotate the pan, switch their 
oven positions and use a metal 
spatula to turn and rotate the croutons 
so that they brown evenly. Once they 
begin to brown, check them every few 
minutes, continuing to turn and rotate. 
Some croutons might be done when 
others still need a few more minutes 
of baking, so remove them from the 
tray and let the rest finish cooking. 
Bake croutons until they’re golden 
brown and crunchy on the outside 
with just a tiny bit of chew on the 

inside. Taste a crouton and adjust the 
seasoning with a light sprinkling of salt 
if needed.
When done, let the croutons cool 
in a single layer on the baking sheet. 
Use immediately or keep in an airtight 
container for up to 2 days. To refresh 
stale croutons, bake for 3 to 4 minutes 
at 400 F. Freeze leftover croutons for 
up to 2 months.
Salad: Bring a large pot of water 
to boil over high heat. Season it with 
salt until it tastes like the sea. Line a 
baking sheet with parchment paper. 
Set aside.
Toss sliced onion in a small bowl 
with the vinegar and let it sit for 20 
minutes to macerate. Set aside.
If the asparagus is thicker than a 
pencil, stripey peel it, pressing lightly 
with a vegetable peeler to remove 
only the outermost skin from about 1 
inch below the blossom to the base. 
Slice the asparagus into 1½-inch-
long pieces on a bias. Blanch the 
asparagus in the boiling water until 
it’s just tender, about 3.5 minutes (less 
for thinner stalks). Taste a piece to 
determine doneness — it should still 
have the faintest crunch in the center. 
Drain and allow to cool in a single 
layer on the prepared sheet.
Combine the salad greens and 
asparagus in a large bowl. Dress 
with vinaigrette to taste. Add the 
macerated onions to taste (but not 
their vinegar, yet). Tear in the mint 

leaves in small pieces. Crumble in 
the feta in large pieces. Add croutons 
to taste and toss. Sample and adjust 
seasoning with salt, vinaigrette and 
the macerating vinegar as needed. 
Serve at room temperature.
Components can be made in 
advance and combined right before 
serving. The salad is still great without 
the feta to make this recipe pareve 
or without the croutons to make it 
gluten-free.

SALMON WITH BROWN SUGAR 
AND MUSTARD
Adapted from Sam Sifton

Ingredients

Salmon fillets

Dijon mustard

Brown sugar

Salt and pepper

Preparation 
Position a rack in the top half of your 
oven and heat it to 400° F.
Make a mixture of Dijon mustard 
and brown sugar to your tastes. Add 
salt and pepper to taste.
Place the salmon fillets skin-side 
down on a foil-lined baking sheet. 
Slather the tops of the fillets with the 
mustard and brown sugar mixture and 
bake in the top half of the oven. Roast 
for about 12 minutes or until center 
feels just firm, then serve.

Salmon with 
brown sugar 
and mustard

SIMPLYRECIPES.COM

