This salad is intended to be dressed with the incredible Corto®’s Agrumato-Method Calabrian Chili Olive Oil, which brings out the best in the fresh, lively ingredients in this salad. The striking color of the oil pops beautifully against the backdrop of the ricotta cheese and balances out the flavors of heat, brightness, and sweetness. It’ll still be a stunner if you don’t have that oil - use a really good olive oil and a pinch of chili flakes.

Agrumato Frisée Salad with Cara Cara Oranges and Ricotta

Serves 4

2 Tablespoons minced shallot
1 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 Tablespoons Corto® Agrumato-Method Calabrian Chili Olive Oil, plus more for plating
6 cups frisée, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 Cara Cara oranges, supremed and zested (1 tsp zest)
1/2 cup Marcona almonds
3 Tablespoons roughly chopped mint
12 oz ricotta cheese
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

To make the dressing, place the shallot in a small bowl with the vinegar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the orange zest, then whisk in the Agrumato-Method Calabrian Chili Olive Oil oil and small pinch of salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss the dressing with the frisée, oranges, almonds, mint, and season with salt and pepper.

Divide the ricotta evenly between plates and spread it in a large circle on each. Sprinkle the ricotta with a small pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle a thin circle of Corto® Agrumato-Method Calabrian Chili Olive Oil around the perimeter of the ricotta.

To plate, place a heaping serving of salad in the center of the ricotta

This beautiful salad that I developed for Oregon Orchard stands tall on its own. For a more filling meal, serve it with a rich pasta dish or halibut with roasted potatoes. You may use pre-ground coriander for this, but for maximum flavor, I recommend toasting whole coriander seed in a dry skillet until fragrant and grinding it in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.

Pomegranate, Radish, Frisée Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Hazelnuts

Serves 6 to 8

Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Hazelnuts:

1/2 cup coarsely chopped Oregon Orchard roasted hazelnuts
3 Tablespoons pomegranate molasses, plus more for garnish
Sea salt

Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet next to the stove. Stir together the hazelnuts, pomegranate molasses, and a pinch of salt in a small skillet over medium heat.
Once you see small bubbles in the molasses, reduce the heat to low and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until most of the liquid has evaporated, you see lines in the molasses when you scrape the bottom of the skillet with the wooden spoon, and the hazelnuts start to stick together.
Transfer to the baking sheet and let cool on the counter or in the fridge or freezer for faster cooling. Add water to the skillet to help with cleaning. Once the hazelnuts have cooled and hardened, roughly chop them.

Dressing:

1 shallot, minced
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup roasted hazelnut oil or extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

To make the dressing, place the shallot in a small bowl with the vinegar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in the pomegranate molasses, mustard and oil and a small pinch of salt and pepper.

Salad:

1 head of frisée, torn into bite-sized pieces (around 6 packed cups)
4-5 breakfast or Easter radishes or one medium watermelon radish (or combination), thinly sliced
1/2 cup pomegranate arils
¼ cup roughly chopped mint
1 batch of Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Hazelnuts (see above)
12 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, toss the frisée, radish, pomegranate, and mint with half of the glazed hazelnuts and the dressing and season with salt and pepper.
Divide the ricotta evenly between plates and spread it in a large circle on each. Sprinkle the ricotta with a small pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle a thin stream of pomegranate molasses around the perimeter of the ricotta. Place a heaping serving of salad in the center of the ricotta, garnish each with the remaining glazed hazelnuts and a sprinkle of coriander and serve.