Receta Chopped Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette + a Calphalon Giveaway
Chopped Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette + a Calphalon Giveaway
May 29, 2015・Bill Harris・17 Comments
A few weeks ago, our house was selected for a Calphalon photo shoot. As part of their digital media campaign, they were photographing their Calphalon Elite Nonstick Cookware. Roughly 15 people, including an Ad agency executive, a Calphalon executive, a food photographer, a food stylist, a prop stylist, and a hand model, took over our kitchen for a four-day shoot.
As a food blogger, I was excited to see the process of professional food prep, styling, staging and photography. The level of excellence of the team was impressive, and the photographs were stunning. As an added bonus, we got to share the scrumptious food they prepared.
After chatting with the Calphalon representative and telling her about my blog, she arranged for me to receive a Self-Sharpening Cutlery Set with SharpIN™ Technology to review. The set includes and 8-inch Chef’s Knife, a 6-inch Serrated Utility Knife, a 5-inch Santoku, a 4.5-inch Parer, 6 Steak Knives, Kitchen Shears, and a Sharpening Knife Block.
The Knife Block has built-in ceramic sharpeners that automatically hone the knives every time you remove them from the block. The knives are made from high-carbon, no-stain forged steel and feature full tang construction and a comfortably balanced, triple-riveted handle.
I’ve been using the knives for a couple of weeks. Out of the box, they are razor-sharp. The knives are well-balanced and feel good in the hand, particularly the chef’s knife. I’ve made a point of using all the knives and I’ve been impressed with all of them. I especially like having another pair of kitchen shears.
To take full advantage of the sharpening feature, you have to make a conscious effort to pull the knife straight in and out of the block so that it makes contact with the ceramic sharpener. You almost need to slightly press down on the knife as you pull it out of the block. If you lift the knife out of the block, it doesn’t make contact. It only takes a little time to adjust to the correct way to remove the knives from the block.
So far, the knives have remained very sharp with fairly heavy use. Only time will tell how they fare in terms of sharpness, but kudos to Calphalon for designing an ingenious way to prevent dull knives.
For more information on this self-sharpening technology, check out this video, or you can buy the knives here.
For today’s post, I put the knives to good use with this Chopped Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette. You can serve this salad as an pre-dinner appetizer, or pair it with a grilled chicken breast and you have a delicious and light meal.
Calphalon has offered to give one lucky reader a set of these knives. Leave a comment below by Thursday, June 4th at 11:59 p.m. to enter the giveaway. The winner will be chosen randomly from the comments.
Chopped Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- For the Tarragon Vinaigrette:
- 4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh tarragon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- For the salad:
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
- 4 ounces haricots verts, blanched and sliced into 3/4 inch pieces
- 1 head fennel, cored and chopped
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
- Green leaf lettuce leavesInstructions
For the vinaigrette:
Whisk vinegar, mustard, and honey together in a small bowl. Add tarragon, salt, and pepper and whisk to combine. While whisking, slowly drizzle olive oil into the bowl until completely incorporated. If not using immediately, refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the salad:
Combine peppers, haricots verts, fennel, avocado, onion, tomatoes, and garbanzo beans in a medium bowl. Dress with tarragon vinaigrette to taste. Serve salad on lettuce leaves and garnish with goat cheese.4.2.0.23
http://southernboydishes.com/2015/05/29/chopped-salad-with-tarragon-vinaigrette-a-calphalon-giveaway/
I grew up in small town Mississippi eating traditional southern fare.A lifelong foodie, I started cooking and experimenting with food at a very young age. I started Southern Boy Dishes as a creative outlet and a way to share my love of food.
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