I know what you’re thinking. Salad? What could be groundbreaking about a pile of cold leaves? Give me more creme brulee! I get it, and I’m normally with you. For me, salads are reserved only for sad office lunches and not usually something I’d make for a dinner main course at home. But this one is different! Can’t you tell by the number of colors and textures in the bowl?
There’s a corner of the Fairway produce section where I like to do a quick roam each time I’m there picking up things on my list. It’s the oft-overlooked section that houses the strange produce from Latin America, and you can find things there like yautia and yuca and aloe vera. A few weeks ago I was circling to see what was on offer, when a new box caught my eye. The sign said “Purple Potatoes.” I stuffed a pound into my bag.
Once home, I found this recipe that I had tagged a long time ago, just waiting for the moment when colorful potatoes would appear in my orbit. When they finally did, I jumped to action to get the rest of the ingredients. The only thing I could not procure on short notice was, sadly, quail eggs, which Fairway usually has but did not when I needed them, of course. I went with the déclassé chicken variety, which of course worked just fine.
I would compare this salad to sort of an “alternative Cobb.” It’s got a lot going on in it, but it all works together perfectly. The collard greens are a bit sturdier than your standard lettuce so hold up well with the rest of the bold and heavy ingredients. Hard-boiled eggs, Stilton and bacon add richness, toasted walnuts give it a good crunch. The blue potatoes, though, are the real star. Having only ever seen a blue potato in a bag of Terra chips, I was shocked at how blue they actually are! They’re roasted in bacon fat, salt and pepper, so no surprise that the end result is hands-down delicious.
This is not a salad that’s going to be compatible with your springtime diet regime, but it makes an excellent, if somewhat indulgent, full meal. And it’s inspired me to experiment with more interesting combinations in my salads, which are a great weeknight dinner option, and often the only thing standing between me and the Seamless.com order button. So perhaps the real moral of this story is…when life hands you a pound of blue potatoes, make a collard green salad.
Ingredients
- 6 oz. thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 lb. baby blue potatoes, quartered (mine weren't quite babies so I cut into eights)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 8 quail eggs (or 2 chicken eggs)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Pinch of sugar
- 1 1/2 lbs. young collard greens, stems discarded and leaves halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch thick ribbons
- 4 oz. Stilton cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels.
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the quartered potatoes with the rendered bacon fat and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 40 minutes, stirring once, until the potatoes are tender and browned. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, spread the walnuts in a pie plate. Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Let cool slightly, then roughly chop the walnuts.
- In a small saucepan, cover the quail eggs with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the eggs and cool them under cold running water. Peel the eggs and cut them in half lengthwise. (Note: if using chicken eggs, hard boil them using your preferred method and quarter).
- In a very large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the vinegar, mustard and sugar. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the collards, bacon and potatoes and toss well. Scatter the toasted walnuts, eggs and Stilton on top and serve.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2016/04/13/collard-greens-blue-potato-and-bacon-salad/
