Orange Radicchio Salad with Black Garlic Vinaigrette

When in season ingredients are at their best and freshest. I like to make salads keeping the integrity of the produce to enjoy its fullest flavor and let the ingredients speak for themselves. This usually means everything tastes a little sweeter, a little fuller, a little crisper. In this salad, I found some beautiful variegated radicchio at Wholefoods that were crisp and subtly bitter, balanced the bitterness with the sweetness of oranges that are at their peak right now makes it absolutely amazing. 

To bring it all together I thought of using the rather large bag of black garlic my hubby bought from his trip to Korea. Black garlic is not garlic that is naturally black, it is fermented slow roasted regular garlic that naturally turns black without any chemicals or artificially processing. Learn more about black garlic here. Best places to find black garlic is Asian markets, Amazon and gourmet markets. For a brief time Trader Joe’s had them but looks like they discontinued it. Even if you don’t make this salad make the dressing and use it over romaine, kale or any other lettuce you prefer, it also works well with roast veggies.

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Here’s the recipe. 

BLACK GARLIC VINAIGRETTE

• 30 gms about 1 oz black garlic
• 1/2 cup good quality cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Himalayan pink salt as needed

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Allow the vinaigrette to sit for at least 30 minutes so the flavors develop and intensify.
2. I used only half the vinaigrette. Save the rest in a clean jar refrigerated . its really good with spinach or tossed with roast vegetables.

SALAD

• 2 heads radicchio, torn into bite sized pieces
• 3 oranges any variety, I used one each; Cara Cara, blood and satsuma
• Handful of spinach or arugula
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 2-3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

1. Trim the radicchio and roughly tear it into pieces. Work gently as they are tightly packed. Trim and peel the oranges, slice or segment them. Dice or slice the avocado.
2. Arrange the radicchio and oranges onto a plate. Garnish with pumpkinseeds . Drizzle the black garlic vinaigrette lightly to thinly coat. Serve right away.