06/28/07 Food & Wine: Salads

Welcome to Vine to Wine, this is your host Linda Moran and today is food and wine pairing day. It is summertime and we are going to talk about some out of the ordinary, if not exotic, salads and the wines that go with them. I will never forget the first time that I had a watermelon salad with red onions and feta cheese tossed in a raspberry mint dressing. It is amazing served with a nice chilled Riesling. Another great salad is thinly sliced fennel bulb, onion and mushrooms, marinated in lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Serve that with a glass of Fume Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc and you will not be disappointed! Next grilled salads are high on my list of favorites with wine. Try grilling a marinated flank steak and lay a few slices atop a crisp green salad tossed in Blue cheese dressing. It will be great with a modest little Cabernet Sauvignon. Speaking of grilling - try grilling some kale that you've soaked in salted water. Toss the grilled kale in olive oil and sherry vinegar, pour some Pinot Noir and enjoy. Another salad that well accompanies a Pinot Noir is grilled sliced Portabello mushrooms on top of a salad greens tossed in a creamy mustard dressing. And one of the most exotic salads I love with red wine are white beans cooked Mediterranean style with cold smoked trout over a bed of shredded arugula and fresh mint. Enjoy a nice smooth well aged Merlot with that salad. The next time you make a salad think outside of the box or find a cookbook that does it for you! And thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine!