Bottom of the Jar Dijon Vinaigrette

I saw this "no waste" Dijon and red wine vinaigrette recipe in a couple different places on the internets recently- it's advertised as a way to efficiently use up those little bits of mustard left clinging to the side of the jar.I reached the end of a jar of stone ground Dijon when making some Dijon and rosemary grilled chicken thighs, so I threw some olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper into the jar, shook it up.... a tasty vinaigrette, perfect for a crispy salad!

Eggplant Feta Salad Toasts

Sometimes I feel like Deb from Smitten Kitchen has a secret view into my refrigerator. She always seems to put together dishes that use exactly what I have that week from the CSA. Maybe she gets a photo of my fridge contents every week, a la Mark Menjivar's 'You Are What You Eat'? I guess I shouldn't be too surprised since that's the nature of eating seasonally, but still... mind reader! Refrigerator looker! Anywho... this roasted eggplant salad with feta and green onion is super easy and pretty delicious. Try it!

Caramelized Fennel and Pancetta Salad with Arugula

I got a bulb of fennel from the CSA this week, and this caramelized fennel and pancetta salad from Tony's other girlfriend caught my eye. It was pretty tasty- I made ours with arugula, also from the CSA. However, the fennel's distinct licorice taste was totally subsumed by the sweet, caramel flavor imparted on it when it was roasted. That's not bad, per se, but made the fennel somewhat superfluous. I think you could roast onions and accomplish the same flavor for the salad.

Beet, Walnut, Goat Cheese, Arugula Salad

As a starter for our tortellini-stuffed squash, I made this other fall favorite: a roasted beet salad with toasted walnuts, crumbled goat cheese and arugula. Lots of different textures and complimentary flavors!

Served with a shallot/red wine vinegar dressing (to which I added a little bit of dijon mustard, to help keep it emulsified).