Erica De Mane

Miss Magnani, my muse, with a lovely goat friend.

Recipe: Frisée Salad with Pomegranate Seeds, Pine Nuts, Sautéed Shallots, and Goat Cheese

I had a dream last night where my front teeth were falling out. That’s a classic, isn’t it? But before they actually fell out they shrank and darkened. In fact, they turned into pine nuts.

Variations on missing teeth dreams are now more unsettling for me than the old classic nightmare of my youth where I was caught walking past Bergdorf Goodman or somewhere equivalent with no pants on (somehow that was much more upsetting that being completely nude,  having just your weenie and butt exposed). Now it’s the horror of missing teeth. Time  marches on.

When I recovered from my dream I remembered I actually had a container of those evil pine nuts in my pantry. I had a pomegranate too, one with really deep red, sweet seeds. I used them both in this wintry salad, figuring the pomegranate would balance out any bad vibes the pine nuts might contribute. It was a delicious salad despite its traumatic birth.

Frisée Salad with Pomegranate Seeds, Pine Nuts, Sautéed Shallots, and Goat Cheese

(Serves 2)

1 head frisée lettuce, torn into pieces
About a half a cup of fresh pomegranate seeds
A handful of pine nuts, lightly toasted
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
A few large sprigs of thyme
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon Spanish sherry vinegar
About a half a cup of crumbled young goat cheese (I used an Italian Caprino)

Place the frisée, the pomegranate seeds, and the pine nuts in a salad bowl.

In a small sauté pan, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, and sauté until lightly golden. Sprinkle on the thyme, and season lightly with salt. Add all this to the salad bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic and sherry vinegars and about 1½ tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Pour this over the salad, and toss lightly.  Scatter on the goat cheese. Serve right away.

(You may have noticed that in my photo of the salad there are torn bits of stale bread thrown in. I like that for crunch, but it’s an inelegant presentation. You can, if you wish, include neatly cut toasted croutons, or just serve good Italian bread on the side).