Gonna kick this post off with two words: you’re welcome. You’re welcome for introducing you to your new go to group salad. You’re welcome for the opportunity to be the star of your next potluck show. You’re welcome for connecting you to a salad that is easy to make, can be made in advance and is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. You are welcome.
I must in turn lavish some thanks upon Ina Garten for bestowing this recipe on me. After a few dinner parties I attended where my favorite dish was always “a recipe by Ina”, I determined it was time to crack open my own Ina recipe books. Just flipping through the pages Cooking for Jeffrey is a pleasure. Between the stunning food photos and the heartfelt prose, I found it… the maple glazed carrot wonder of a salad, melding almost all of my favorite ingredients into one big beautiful dish! Bingo!
I first made this for book club, then again for a potluck recently and just made it again this weekend for an al fresco lunch with friends. My offering received critical acclaim at all three venues! I think it is such a hit because of the flavor combo and throwing some maple syrup at the situation probably doesn’t hurt the cause. Savory, sweet, and citrus… all swirled together with almonds, arugula, goat cheese and cranberries. It’s kind of magical. Here is Ina’s recipe…
Maple-Roasted Carrot Salad
- 2 pounds carrots, preferably with leafy tops
- Good olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup pure Grade A maple syrup
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
- 2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)
- 3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane
- 6 ounces baby arugula
- 6 ounces goat cheese, such as Montrachet, medium-diced
- 2/3 cup roasted, salted Marcona almonds
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Trim and scrub the carrots. If the carrots are more than 1 inch in diameter, cut them in half lengthwise. Cut the carrots in large diagonal slices 1 inch wide × 2 inches long (they will shrink when they roast) and place in a medium bowl with ¼ cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Toss well and transfer to two sheet pans. (If you use just one, they’ll steam instead of roasting.) Roast for 20 minutes, tossing once, until the carrots are tender. Transfer all the carrots to one of the sheet pans, add the maple syrup, toss, and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are caramelized. Watch them carefully! Toss with a metal spatula and set aside for 10 minutes.Meanwhile, combine the cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, then set aside for 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Place the arugula in a large bowl and add the carrots, cranberries (with their liquid), goat cheese, almonds, and the vinaigrette. Toss with large spoons, sprinkle with salt, and serve at room temperature.
Copyright 2016, Cooking for Jeffrey, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved
