Salad of Tart Greens with Prosciutto and Warm Balsamic Dressing

By KathieC

Ingredients

• 1 med. red onion, sliced into thin rings
• 1/2 c. red wine vinegar
• 1 sm. head each romaine, radicchio, red-leaf lettuce and curly endive
• 1/2 c. (2 oz.) pine nuts, toasted
• 3 to 4 whole scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 3 oz. Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler into thin curls
• 3 oz. thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma, cut into bite size squares
• 1 c. light packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 c. light packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 8 lg. cloves garlic, cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 2/3 About 2/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 to 6 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 About 1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Assembling the salad:
Soak onions in 1/2 cup red wine vinegar for 30 minutes to decrease sharpness. Tear lettuce into bite sized pieces. Toss lettuce with all but 3 tablespoons of the pine nuts, scallions, 1/2 of cheese, 1/2 of prosciutto, and all of basil.

Making the dressing:
In a medium skillet, slowly cook the garlic in the olive oil over low heat for about 8 minutes, until garlic barely colored. Remove garlic with slotted spoon and reserve. Turn to medium-high heat and add vinegars. Cook a few moments until acid is diffused slightly. Add brown sugar to taste & bubble slowly for 1 minute. Taste for sweet/tart balance and adjust with more balsamic vinegar or sugar to taste. If too sharp, let boil for a few minutes. Stir in reserved garlic and season with salt and pepper.

To serve:
Top with drained onion and scatter rest of pine nuts, cheese, and prosciutto over the salad. Reheat the dressing, stir vigorously to blend, and spoon over the salad. Serve immediately.