house of cards

Today our Arizona Cardinals clinched the NFC West division. All that needed to happen was for the San Francisco 49ers to lose to the Philadelphia Eagles, that happened – and for the Cardinals to beat the Detroit Lions in the Motor City, and that happened!  On to the playoffs and then off to Miami and the Super Bowl!  Another great thing that happened in today’s game in Detroit – my friend, Larry Fitzgerald, passed the 1000-yard receiving mark for the third consecutive season and the fourth time overall in his six pro seasons. He also became the youngest NFL player with 7,000 yards receiving, congratulations, Fitz! In honor of Arizona’s great day in Michigan, I have a recipe that is a Detroit area favorite. Go Cards!

Detroit Chop Salad

Oregano Dressing
4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad
15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced into very thin rings
1/2 pound provolone, sliced 1/4 -inch thick then cut into thin strips
1/2 pound Genoa salami, sliced 1/4 -inch thick then cut into thin strips
8 small pickled pepperoncini, sliced into rings, reserve seeds and juices that come out of peppers
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
1 head iceberg lettuce, cored, and cut into 1/2 -inch wide strips
2 large heads red Belgium endive, cut into 1/2 -inch wide strips

Oregano Dressing: Roughly chop the garlic then add the oregano, salt, and pepper to the cutting board with the garlic. Mince the mixture together to make a grainy herb paste.

Transfer the pasta to a large salad bowl, and add the lemon juice and vinegar. Whisk, allowing the salt to dissolve. Add the oil and whisk until well combined.

Salad: Gently fold the chickpeas, red onion, provolone, salami, and pepperoncini slices, along with their seeds and juice, into the dressing in the salad bowl. Maybe made up to 2 hours ahead, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.

When ready to serve, add the tomatoes, iceberg, and endive to the salad bowl, and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

“Motor City” Santa