Winter Wild Greens Salad with Salmon and Kiwi Vinaigrette

Sometimes winter calls for hearty stews that simmer endlessly on the stove. Other times we crave something light and bright, to mimic the crystalline skies on a rare sunny day. This midwinter desire for vitamin C often shows up in citrus-themed recipes, but oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and limes are all difficult to grow here in the Pacific Northwest. Fortunately, we have two local ingredients that meet our needs: miner’s lettuce and hardy kiwi.  

They work well together in this tart winter salad, especially when paired with a fatty salmon. And incredibly, all of the fresh ingredients can still be found in the garden or on the farm.

Serves 2
Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Vinaigrette

• 1 small kiwi, skin removed

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar (not distilled vinegar)

• 1/2 tsp honey (1 good squeeze from a container)

• 1/8 tsp kosher salt

Salad

• 2 cups cooked whole grains, like farro or wheat berries, room temperature

• 2 cups loosely packed miner’s lettuce (baby spinach works as a substitute) 

• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

• 2 scallions, sliced

• 6-oz can cooked salmon, drained and flaked into large chunks

• Petals from 2 calendula flowers (optional)

Prepare the vinaigrette by putting all the ingredients together in a bowl and pureeing with an immersion blender or use a blender or food processor. 

Assemble the salad by building layers of ingredients: first the grains, then the miner’s lettuce, cilantro, scallions, salmon, and flower petals, if using. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad before serving, adding more or less to taste.