Chef Rich Mead shares recipes for two delicious Summer salads.  One is a Salmon salad and the other, a Thai style Portuguese sausage and Weiser Farms melon salad.

Salmon Salad

Ingredients:

  • Salmon fillet — (Two) 4-6 oz. pieces
  • Asparagus — 8 large spears, blanched
  • Sweet Maui Onions — julienned, thin add salad to taste
  • Grilled Corn — Cut off cobb, ½ cup
  • Sweet (100) cherry tomatoes — 10
  • Lettuce — clean, torn size of hand
  • Candied Pecans — ½ cup

Candied Pecans

  • Butter – ½ cup
  • Brown Sugar — ¾ cup
  • Honey — ¾ cup

Dijon Horseradish Dressing

  • Dijon Mustard – 4 tbs.
  • Horseradish – 4 tbs.
  • Honey – 2 tsp.
  • White Wine Vinegar – 4 tbs.
  • Dill – 2 tsp
  • Olive Oil – 1 cup
  • Salt & Pepper – to taste

Preparation:

Dressing

  • Whisk together Dijon, horseradish, honey, white wine vinegar and dill in a mixing bowl and season lightly with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
  • Slowly drizzle in olive oil – mixture should emulsify and thicken. Taste and finish seasoning with more kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

Candied Pecans

  • Toast ½ cups pecans
  • Blend ingredients over a double boiler whisking and blend together as mixture thickens.
  • Mix pecans into thickened brown sugar, honey mix and place on sheet plan with parchment paper and continue roasting in oven at 350 degrees until mixture bubbles.
  • Remove from oven, let cool and break apart.

Salmon Salad

  • Season salmon filet with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper and put on side.
  • Grill some corn, rinse cherry tomatoes and soak, rinse and cut lettuce into desired size, julienne sweet onion.
  • Blanch asparagus spears in salted boiling water and immediately place them in ice water to stop the cooking process (you can also sprinkle with olive oil, salt and fresh ground pepper and grill until tender).
  • Drizzle a small amount of vinaigrette on salmon filets and rub dressing all over the fish.
  • Cook salmon on grill to desired doneness.
  • Meanwhile, toss lettuce with grilled corn and sweet onions (to taste) and a small amount of dressing. Remember, you can always add more but you can’t subtract.
  • Place asparagus on a platter, plate with lettuce mix arranging asparagus around lettuce. Place salmon on lettuce.
  • Sprinkle with cherry tomatoes and candied pecans. Drizzle fish with tiny amount of dressing as garnish.
Thai Style Portuguese Sausage & Weiser Farms Melon Salad

Ingredients:

  • Portuguese sausage – 12 ounces, grilled and sliced
  • Melon – cut into small pieces, about 4 cups
  • Red onion – Slice thin to taste
  • Mint leaves – 5 Tbs., julienned
  • Arugula — 1 small bunch, wild if available, cleaned

Arugula & Lime Dressing

  • Limes – juice of 2
  • Chili paste – 1 tsp
  • Fish sauce – ¼ cup

Mix together 

Preparation:

  • Mix the melon with the herbs and arugula and a small handful of very thinly sliced red onions
  • Toss with dressing
  • Sprinkle with slices of sausage