Lidia Bastianich's Carrot & Apple Salad Recipe

Today is International Carrot Day, so enjoy this recipe from a 10/10/2013 event that I attended with my youngest son Sean.

While Sean only picked out the apples on this salad, I enjoyed all of it…

“Here’s another fine winter salad. This one is made of crunchy carrots and fresh seasonal apples. The crunchy complexity of the carrots and the crisp apple provide a delightful, unexpected combination of flavor and texture. To turn the salad into a light lunch, add a few slices of prosciutto and serve it with some crusty bread.

A firm, crisp apple is what you want for salad, and fortunately, there are many varieties in the market that have that essential crunch, with flavors ranging from sweet to tangy to tart. I like to use a few different apples for greater complexity of flavor and vivid color in the salad. In addition to the reliably crisp Granny Smith apple, I look for some of the old-time firm and tart apples, such as Gravenstein, Jonathan, and Rome.”

Carrot & Apple Salad
Adapted from Lidia’s Family Kitchen: Nonna’s Birthday Surprise by Lidia Bastianich © 2013
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound firm, crisp apples
1 pound firm organic carrots, peeled
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup chopped chives (optional)
½ cup grated Grana Padano or Grana Padano Frico (see recipe below)

Directions:

Rinse the apples well, but don’t peel them. Slice them in half, through the stem and bottom ends, and cut out the seeds and cores. Set in a food processor equipped with a blade to cut in matchsticks, and cut the apples and carrots.
Add the apples and carrots to the bowl and gently toss them together.

For the dressing: whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, and then whisk in the olive oil gradually, until smooth and emulsified.

Pour the dressing over the carrots and apples, and toss to coat all the slices with dressing. Sprinkle with chopped chives (optional).

Serve cold or at room temperature. Sprinkle the grated Grana Padano atop each plate as a garnish.

For the Grana Padano Frico

Ingredients:

½ pound (about 2 cups) grated Grana Padano
1 tablespoon flour
Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Combine the cheese with the flour in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Lightly grease a large cast-iron skillet with the extra virgin olive oil, then place over medium-low heat. Spoon 2 tablespoons of cheese onto the heated skillet for each 2”–3” round. Allow the cheese to melt and the edges to turn golden brown. Cook, without touching, for about 3 minutes, then turn with a spatula (when ready, the frico should come away easily from the pan) and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.

Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining cheese. Serve atop each salad as a garnish, or as a tasty snack to nibble on while cooking.

KIDS CAN:

Rinse the apples
Toss the apples and carrots together in a bowl
Grind the pepper
Help measure and whisk together the dressing ingredients and then dress the salad
Sprinkle the chives

As always, this recipe is meant to be a guideline. Cooking is not always an exact science so enjoy making it your own!

{Photo Credit – Getty Images for Grana Padano, used with permission}