I adore the big pots of mesclun that have been moved to the shadier spots in my backyard now summer is in full swing. A few snips and I have the base for a fabulous summer lunch.
There’s no real dressing to make, just assembling a couple of ingredients, including a few slices of Serrano ham, shavings of Parmesan and a handful of yellow cherries pickled with Chinese Five Spice. Somehow these three things paired with just picked lettuces and tender herbs result in a taste greater than the sum of their parts.
The cherries were the result of about an hour in the kitchen over the weekend. Now preserved for the dark days of winter, I couldn’t help but crack into one of the jars for this salad. And I’m glad I did. I have to make more of these while cherries are still in season. I did not make enough. These cherries are not only wonderful in this salad, but perfection with a cheese plate. I want to have plenty on hand to dish out with nibbles of cheese when friends pop in for a cocktail.
For the salad, combine a pile of young lettuces mixed with whatever fresh herbs you can lay your hands on (today’s mix was dill, parsley, tarragon and garlic chives). Pile three slices of Serrano or prosciutto in rosettes, shave some generous slices of Parmesan, and scatter a handful of the cherries. Drizzle the whole lot with some extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with some drops of the cherry pickling mixture and season with salt and pepper.
Playlist included Mother Don’t Look Down, by Peter Bradley Adams (of Eastmountainsouth fame).
Persephone's Kitchen 
Your salad looks beautiful and sounds delicious. I checked your recipes and didn’t find how you pickled your cherries. I have cherry trees in my orchard and would love to know how for next season.
I did a quick link in the paragraph about the cherries taking about an hour. Here it is for ease: http://www.leenaeats.com/blog/recipes/leena-cooks/leena-cooks-n-cans-chinese-five-spice-pickled-cherries-for-tigress-can-jam-june/ Lucky you with an orchard! Enjoy! Thanks for stopping in and commenting. Cheers.
[…] Pickled cherries […]
I pickled cherries today using that recipe. I haven’t tried any yet, so I have no idea if I’ll like them, lol! I’ve tried a lot of things this season just for fun and to push the boundaries of my palate. I’m hoping to still preserve some in a simple syrup plus pack some more away in the freezer. I’ve made two batches now of Cherry Lambic Sorbet using a recipe from Jeni’s book with Rockmill ale. The first was delish- almost like a fruity wine taste.
Yay! You know, I too, didn’t know exactly what they were going to taste like. But let me advise you, two words: cheese plate. Seriously great with it. And if you left the pits in, as I did in round two of canning these babies, it’ll be just like olives.
I’ve got Jeni’s book but I’ve yet to make anything yet. What’s wrong with me? It’s summer!
Thanks for stopping in and commenting, too. xo
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