This is a beautiful healthy salad that will absolutely satisfy the soul. This vibrant Arugula Blueberry Feta Salad is absolutely intoxicating! The subtle spiciness from the arugula and pecans blends seamlessly with the freshness of the cucumbers and blueberries. The luscious walnut vinaigrette ties this wonderful salad together.
This last week was packed full of adventure and fun. My mom came out for another short visit while her boyfriend Clyde was surfing in Mexico. We had tasty food including this salad, good wine and inspiring conversations out on our deck. We went for an awesome bike ride in Monterey along the ocean and then stopped for some iced tea at a cute little tea shop called “Quock Mui Tea Room.” They had tables outside in a little courtyard with a water fountain and succulents growing out of the walls. We rode a lot farther than intended so we decided to go out to eat at our favorite restaurant, Ella’s at the Airport.
My mom left early Saturday morning and I drove up to Oakland to take photos of Beto’s two-year creek restoration project. He received a grant to fix up a creek and then inspired some local teens and neighbors to work on the project. The creek was originally full of ivy, trash and shopping carts. In the beginning, Beto had the water tested in the stream and they found a high ammonia content, most likely from urine. Ewww. With the cleanup and with some time the ammonia level in the creek is now at a normal level.
Beto is all about native plants so they dug up all of the non-native plants and they planted beautiful native plants. It looks amazing! Not only is it awesome that he is restoring this creek, but that the teenagers are getting educated on restoration, native plants and horticulture.
When we were finished for the day, we drove back to Beto’s house and then Jill and I snuck off to do a little wine tasting at a wine shop called K & L Wine Merchants. We lucked out because we were able to taste a number of extraordinary French wines from Franck Millet Sancerre straight from the winemakers Franck and Betty Millet. They have sold their wine to this shop for 21 years and this was the first time they had been there in person. Every single one of their wines was incredible! When Jill and I arrived back at their house, we all decided to walk to downtown Palo Alto for some incredible pizza at La Strada and then we went to see Paloma’s favorite art sculpture. This was going to be the first time that I have stayed the night at their house and Paloma was excited because we were going to have a slumber party.
I served a light Pinot Noir with this salad but it is also wonderful with a Pinot Gris.
Arugula Blueberry Feta Salad with Spicy Maple Pecans and a Toasted Walnut Feta Sherry Vinaigrette Recipe:
Ingredients
- 8 Cups Arugula
- 2 Cups Spicy Pecan - recipe below
- 1/2 Cucumber - thinly sliced or cubed
- 1 Cup Blueberries - or to taste
- 1/2 Cup Red Cabbage - thinly sliced or roughly chopped
- 1/4 Red Onion - thinly sliced or minced
- Feta - crumbled - to taste
Toasted Walnut Feta Sherry Vinaigrette
Approx. 3/4 Cup
- 1/2 Cup Toasted Walnut Oil
- 2 Tablespoons + 2 Teaspoons Sherry Vinegar
- 1 Small Clove Garlic
- 2 Tablespoons Shallot – minced
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Feta
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice - fresh squeezed
- 1/4 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 Teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt or Sea Salt - or to taste
- 1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Spicy Pecan
- 2 Cups Raw Pecans
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 1/2 Teaspoon Hot Paprika or Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Instructions
Dressing
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Add everything to a food processor or blender and puree.
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Transfer finished dressing to your bottle or jar of choice and refrigerate.
Pecans
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Add everything to a cast iron or a saute pan and turn the on stove onto medium heat.
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As soon as it starts to bubble or get hot, stir continuously.
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In about 3 – 6 minutes they will start to get sticky.
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When all moisture is gone, turn off the heat.
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Spread onto parchment paper or a baking sheet. Don’t worry about them sticking together, when cooled you can separate them.
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Bake for 8 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
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Wait until they are completely cooled. They will harden and become crystallized.
Salad
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Either mix everything together or layer them on a large platter starting with the arugula.
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Dress individual salads to your liking.
Arugula is a super food that cleanses the blood and detoxifies cells. It is an extremely high anti-oxidant making it a free radical absorbent and increases oxygen levels. It has a cooling effect on the body and contains 90% water so it keeps your body hydrated making it a great addition to your diet in the summer heat. Arugula has very high levels of chlorophyll, which helps with liver damage and contains phytochemicals that fight cancer-causing carcinogens. The leaves have an excellent source of vitamin A helping with vision, skin and respiratory health. It has good levels of vitamin C that is great for cell and skin health. Arugula also contains decent levels of minerals, especially copper and iron. It has high amounts of calcium and vitamin K that strengthens the bones. Its high fiber content helps with colon health and reduces chronic inflammation as well. It is high in folate (B9), which helps to slow down the aging factors of the brain and supports your metabolism.
Blueberries are high in Vitamin C. They are a superfood and are one of the highest in antioxidants compared to most fruits. They are a great source of fiber. The fiber helps reduce abdominal fat, lower cholesterol and helps lower glucose. They are great for brain health, reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and they are known to heal damaged brain cells. So they help you keep your memory intact.
