jars, jars, everywhere are jars…

Remember how we had a New Year’s Day Brunch and I set up that awesome Bloody Mary bar?  Yeah, that was all well and good back in January, but now, in May – not so good!

Summer cooking classes are only about two weeks away and my refrigerator is so full that I’ll never have enough room for all the shopping and fridge-filling that occurs during the summer! One entire shelf of my sub-zero is just jars… jars of pickled olives, carrots, green asparagus, white asparagus, carrots, onions, garlic, green tomatoes, shallots, peppers, and on and on and on!

I need that shelf and I need it quick! I know, I’ll make a “Pickled Vegetable Salad”.  Now my fridge will be cleared out and my recycle will be full.  Joy!

As usual, do as I say in the recipe, not as I do. I had the mozzarella cheese on the counter and somehow still forgot to put it on the salad. After dinner, as we were cleaning up the kitchen and putting stuff back into the fridge, Dave asked, “What was the mozzarella for?”  Oops!!!  It would have been really good on the salad – oh well.

“Refrigerator Clean-out” Pickled and Fresh Salad

Pickled vegetables; such as pepperoncini, asparagus, carrots, etc.
2 tablespoons of pickling liquid from one of the jars of pickled vegetables
2 teaspoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh thyme and oregano leaves, divided
1 head butter (Bibb) lettuce, washed and spun dry
1/2 cup cherry tomato halves
1 cup cubed mozzarella

Slicing on a diagonal and into bite-size pieces, chop enough of the pickled vegetables to make 2 cups. Place on paper towels to drain while you make the dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons of pickling liquid (I used the liquid from the pepperoncini – YUM!), mustard, Italian seasoning, garlic, and sugar. Slowly add the oil, while whisking until well blended.  Season with pepper.

In a medium bowl, toss together the pickled vegetables, 1/4 cup of the fresh herbs, and half of the dressing.

Arrange the lettuce on a serving platter and drizzle with the remaining half of the dressing. Mound the pickled vegetable mixture on top of the lettuce and sprinkle with the tomato halves, mozzarella, and the remaining 1/4 cup of fresh herbs. Toss and serve.

Serves 4