Fall has finally arrived here in California, bringing thunder, rain, and the cooler temperatures I’ve been waiting for. While these cool gray skies have me dreaming of hearty soups and warm baked goods, the theme this week for Fall Fest is fall salads. I’ll save the soup-making and bread-baking for next week since my kitchen is still only half unpacked – an easy fall salad was the perfect thing for me to make this week. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Spinach Pomegranate Salad with Apples and Walnuts
4 cups baby spinach leaves
1 apple, cored and chopped
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup pomegranate vinaigrette (recipe below)
Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.
Pomegranate Vinaigrette
1/2 cup pomegranate juice (I used POM Wonderful)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil (any neutral-flavored oil will do)
salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
In a medium bowl, whisk together pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and honey. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly, until it’s all incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yield: approximately 1 1/4 cups.
How You Can Join Fall Fest 2010
Welcome to Fall Fest! Have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes? You can contribute to our online recipe swap in various ways, big or small.
Contribute a whole post, or a comment—whatever you wish. It’s meant to be fun, viral, fluid. No pressure, just delicious. Simply leave your tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below a Fall Fest post on my blog, and then go visit my collaborators and do the same.
The cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. Yes, copy and paste them everywhere! That way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. Everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.
Or think bigger: Publish entire posts of your own, if you wish, and grab the Fall Fest 2010 pumpkin badge (illustrated by Matt of Matt Bites).
Summer/Fall Fest 2010 Posting Schedule
7/28: Cukes and Zukes
8/4: Corn
8/11: Herbs, Greens, and Beans
8/18: Stone Fruit – I missed this one!
8/25: Tomatoes
9/1: Sweet and Spicy Peppers
9/8: Garlic
9/15: White (or colorful “white”…but not sweet) Potatoes
9/22: Spinach
9/29: Apples
10/6: Fall Salads
10/13: Pumpkin + Winter Squash
10/20: Pears
10/27: “Mad Stash” (as in what you’re shoving in freezer/jars/dehydrator, etc.)
11/3: Root veggies
11/10: Brassicas: incl. Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Cabbage or other
11/17: Sweet Potatoes
11/24: Bounty to Be Grateful For
Other Fall Fest Attendees Celebrating Fall Salads:
- Gilded Fork: Red & White Salad with Candied Pecans, Figs & Chevre
- Margaret at A Way to Garden: Why Beets Make the Salad
- Caroline at the Wright Recipes: Salt-Roasted Beet and Potato Salad
- Michelle at Cooking Channel: 5 Fab Fall Salads
- Caron at San Diego Foodstuff: Wheat Berry Salad with Apples and Pomegranate Seeds
- Liz at Healthy Eats: 5 Favorite Fall Salads
- Alison at Food2: Fall Salads, Deconstructed
- Cate at Sweetnicks: Bleu Cheese and Walnut Salad with Maple Dressing
- Alana at Eating From the Ground Up: Kale Salad
- Paige at The Sister Project: The Chopped Salad That’s Also an Hors D’Ouevre
- Todd and Diane at White on Rice Couple: Arugula, Bacon and Fig Salad
Looks like a nice salad and I love the pomegranate seeds!
Here’s my Fall Fest salad with grilled apples, shallots, and shredded brussel sprouts with a maple-mustard vinaigrette: http://savorymomentsblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/grilled-apple-salad-with-maple-mustard.html
3:29 am Oct 6th, 2010Here is one of my favorite fall salads.
Apple-Pear Salad
Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) package Romaine lettuce, washed and broken into bite-size pieces
1 (6 oz.) block Swiss cheese, grated
1 C cashews
1/2 C sweetened dried cranberries
1 large apple, chopped and rinsed in lemon water to keep from turning brown
1 large pear, chopped and rinsed in lemon water to keep from turning brown
Poppy Seed Salad Dressing (recipe below)
Directions:
Toss together all ingredients in a large bowl. Yield: 6-8 servings.
Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
1/2 C sugar
2/3 C oil
1/4 C vinegar
1 t mustard
1 t salt
1-2 t poppy seeds
Directions:
Place in jar and shake to combine.
4:09 am Oct 6th, 2010I love pomegranate and it goes so well in salads, Nic! This is colorful and fresh – delicious!
5:09 am Oct 6th, 2010Wow, this looks so delicious!
I love pomegranate in salads. It gives a nice sweet crunch
5:16 am Oct 6th, 2010What a beautiful salad! Definitely printing out the Pomegranate Vinaigrette recipe ~ sounds delish.
5:34 am Oct 6th, 2010Who doesn’t love a Pomegranate Martini!! Made with Pom Wondferful. Here’ the link!! http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/03/pomegranate-martinis-and-giveaway.html
6:42 am Oct 6th, 2010It looks good for health. I want to eat it.
6:52 am Oct 6th, 2010Tasty health in a plate! Some salad topping ideas at
6:59 am Oct 6th, 2010http://vegetarianirvana.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/homemade-salad-toppings/
Looks good – I love pomegranate! This week I made a beet and apple salad:
7:05 am Oct 6th, 2010http://4seasonsoffood.blogspot.com/2010/10/beet-and-apple-salad.html
This salad looks wonderful. I love adding fruits to my salads also!
7:28 am Oct 6th, 2010what a healthy and tasty looking fall salad! the pomegranate vinaigrette sounds lovely, too.
7:32 am Oct 6th, 2010For Fall Fest:
7:36 am Oct 6th, 2010This simple Arugula and Mustard Salad captures the taste of fall.
http://purplecook.blogspot.com/2010/10/arugula-mustard-salad.html
Looks so beautiful and tasty. My contribution is one of all time favorite salads that I first enjoyed in Paris.
8:31 am Oct 6th, 2010http://dejavucook.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/monsieur's-salade-of-carrots-walnuts-and-bleu-cheese/
Gorgeous salad and perfect for fall!
8:37 am Oct 6th, 2010I know what I’m having for lunch!
8:43 am Oct 6th, 2010Looks great! The salad I made for Fall Fest has Apples and Walnuts in i too. I love spinach salads…
Fall Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Stilton
9:28 am Oct 6th, 2010http://rachelsbite.blogspot.com/2010/10/fall-salad-with-apples-walnuts-and.html
[...] Nicole at Pinch My Salt: Spinach Pomegranate Salad with Apples and Walnuts [...]
11:03 am Oct 6th, 2010Somehow, fall salads are always pleasantly surprising to me. I like this one with wheat berries and roasted fall vegetables http://themessyapron.blogspot.com/2010/01/resolutions.html
12:13 pm Oct 6th, 2010Oh that looks great! A salad like this for lunch would brighten my day.
1:32 pm Oct 6th, 2010Your salad looks beautiful! Looks like the pomegranates make a wonderful addition.
3:27 pm Oct 6th, 2010To capture the tastes of autumn i made an Endive, Apple, & Walnut salad. You can see the recipe here….http://theavocadopit.blogspot.com/2010/10/endive-apple-walnut-salad.html
we were on the same page, did you see my last post? i made a pomegranate molasses vinaigrette- i’m loving our cooler weather too… until this weekend?
7:46 pm Oct 6th, 2010~Chef Louise
I love pomegranates! I use to sneak them off the neighbor’s tree as a kid and eat them all the time. My favorite jam/jelly is pomegranate! Now I want a tree in my backyard! Beautiful post as usual Nicole.
6:01 am Oct 7th, 2010I love your awesome salad combination. I am bookmarking this! My post for Fall Fest is http://www.ingredientsinc.net/2010/10/fall-fest-fall-salad-black-eyed-pea-salad-over-arugula/
8:46 am Oct 7th, 2010Isn’t the weather in Cali gorgeous lately? We’re so lucky!
10:19 am Oct 7th, 2010Simple and wonderful!
1:29 pm Oct 7th, 2010i am so late to the party, but i posted a recipe for roasted beet, fig and orange salad. the figs and oranges are roasted too… http://napafarmhouse1885.blogspot.com/2010/10/have-you-ever-roasted-oranges-and.html
8:45 pm Oct 9th, 2010What a gorgeous looking salad, totally my kind of food. Cheers!
11:04 am Oct 10th, 2010Tonight I made arugula, walnuts, goat cheese and beets. Fantastic salad! I love yours!
7:05 pm Oct 10th, 2010[...] I had the pleasure of experiencing. Monday – Pumpkin Halloween Pancakes decorated Tuesday – Spinach Pomegranate Salad with Pears and Walnuts with grilled chicken breasts Wednesday – Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Cream Thursday – [...]
4:24 pm Oct 11th, 2010wow that salad looks so wonderful. I’ve never added apples to my salad before but I bet it taste great. I’ll try this one out as soon as possible. Thanks for sharing this with us.
11:14 am Oct 12th, 2010Please try out my harvest orzo salad for a healthy and hearty fall entertaining dish: http://kitchenjourneys.com/2010/10/12/harvest-orzo-salad/
12:01 pm Oct 12th, 2010makes me want to give up meat, well almost, tom
2:49 pm Oct 12th, 2010I am having baby spinach still in my yard, not enough to cook, but good for this delicious salad. Thanks for the idea Nicole. I will be adding some legumes to it for a meal.
5:52 am Oct 14th, 2010Fantastic salad with POMEGRANATES. YUM! Do your readers know where you are right now?
3:45 pm Oct 14th, 2010Valerie
wow lovely salad
9:19 pm Oct 14th, 2010Great salad, going to have to try this soon!!
6:09 pm Oct 16th, 2010Can’t wait to read your posts about the pom harvest! Wonderful site!
9:44 am Oct 17th, 2010valerie
[...] 9/15: White (or colorful “white”…but not sweet) Potatoes 9/22: Spinach 9/29: Apples 10/6: Fall Salads 10/13: Pumpkin + Winter Squash – I missed this one! 10/20: Pears 10/27: “Mad Stash” (as [...]
7:07 am Oct 20th, 2010Thanks for the inspiration! Used my yard spinach and a made a similar salad. Posted it! Love it!
3:05 pm Oct 22nd, 2010This salad looks too beautiful to eat! I love the pop of color from the pomegranate seeds!
8:08 am Oct 23rd, 2010[...] 9/15: White (or colorful “white”…but not sweet) Potatoes 9/22: Spinach 9/29: Apples 10/6: Fall Salads 10/13: Pumpkin + Winter Squash – I missed this one! 10/20: Pears 10/27: “Mad Stash” (as [...]
8:27 am Oct 27th, 2010fall-fest-spinach-pomegranate-salad-with-apples-and-walnuts
Prepared this wonderful salad for my office party, its was a hit! The blue cheese really gives it a nice kick! Next time I will add some grill chicken to create a nice light lunch for myself ;0)!!! Thanks for sharing.
8:03 am Nov 3rd, 2010[...] 9/15: White (or colorful “white”…but not sweet) Potatoes 9/22: Spinach 9/29: Apples 10/6: Fall Salads 10/13: Pumpkin + Winter Squash – I missed this one! 10/20: Pears 10/27: “Mad Stash” (as [...]
2:59 am Nov 10th, 2010[...] 9/15: White (or colorful “white”…but not sweet) Potatoes 9/22: Spinach 9/29: Apples 10/6: Fall Salads 10/13: Pumpkin + Winter Squash – I missed this one! 10/20: Pears 10/27: “Mad Stash” (as [...]
10:13 am Nov 17th, 2010[...] 9/15: White (or colorful “white”…but not sweet) Potatoes 9/22: Spinach 9/29: Apples 10/6: Fall Salads 10/13: Pumpkin + Winter Squash – I missed this one! 10/20: Pears 10/27: “Mad Stash” (as [...]
12:49 pm Nov 29th, 2010[...] disposal, there are a number of ways you can enjoy it. It’s great in a fruit salad or on a spinach salad with blue cheese. Of course you can always snack on them straight up. So [...]
10:28 pm Jan 5th, 2011its really yummy and healthy salad,pomegranate wow .
4:03 am Jun 9th, 2011For the sweet potato theme:
http://mybaykitchen.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/lengua-estofada/
9:03 am Nov 10th, 2011