Crisp and full of flavour – Winter Salad With Artichokes, Parma Ham and Mint
Monday is such a good day for me, I know a lot of you feel an intense dislike for Mondays but for me it is a day of new beginnings, new promises - think about all the interesting things that might happen the week to come. Maybe something happens, probably nothing happens but still, I love not knowing, to be open for new things. Bad things always happens, life is made of good and bad things so by taking for granted the bad parts, I have lots of space for the positive aspects that life ever so often serves us. I don’t expect you to understand that way of looking at life but I can tell you that it takes away a lot of surprises and it have made me appreciate the small joys in life because those are the ones that really count and give me the greatest satisfaction.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to preach here, life is what it is and it goes up and down. When I grew up, me and my best friend U used to find comfort in this poem by the Swedish poet Karin Boye who was not a very happy person so we trusted her blindly and I wish that she knew the comfort she has given me through my life through her poem.
But what is this? Depression corner or a food blog?? I came here to share a salad with you and ended up rambling on about life but now it is time for more material fare, no more soul food. This salad is my favourite right now, the raw crispy artichoke blends so well with the salt and crisp Parma ham and the hint of mint in the vinaigrette just works magic on my taste buds. Eating this, I feel milder towards January.
WINTER SALAD WITH ARTICHOKES, PARMA HAM AND MINT
250 g/8,8 ounce mixed, fresh salad leaves
1 big artichoke of the Italian type, i.e. not the big round kind that you cook whole and dip the leaves in vinaigrette
1 stick of celery
50 g/ 1,7 ounce Parma ham or coppa in thin slices
10-12 small mint leaves
1/2 tbsp mild vinegar
salt
extra-virgin olive oil
Trim the artichoke, quarter it and cut into shaving thin slices. Chop the celery stick finely. Fry the Parma ham in a non-stick pan without any oil until crisp. You can also do it in the oven if you want. Cut the ham slices into thin strips.
Chop the mint leaves finely and mix with vinegar and a little salt. Add the olive oil and shake until emulsified.
Put the salad leaves into a bowl, add the artichoke slices and Parma ham strips and drizzle the vinaigrette over it all before tossing until thoroughly mixed.
L
I love raw artichokes, but here they are too big to do that. It only once or twice that I find the small baby purple artichokes I can eat raw. Soon I hope….
I have a busy week ahead, working in the house, trying to declutter for the hundredth’s time, I wish I were a born organizer.
Have a great week!
Love your preaching, but come to think about it, I like Mondays, too, so no surprise I didn’t cringe reading your post. Raw artichokes, eh? The one thing I still have to find and taste. Thanks for the recipe and Happy, Happy, and Creative New Year to you, Dear Ilva!
Gorgeous shots! This salad looks incredible. I am loving all the ingredients and flavors in this.
I love those thin, purple Italian artichokes. Have never eaten them raw, though.
I think you can find them in some places in Stockholm nowadays, but I am not sure about the quality. Are they growing in Italy in this time of year? I mean, it can be cold even in Italy and artichok plants are sensitive…
I like your style of writing and I’m interested in the stories behind. I’m a little bit “comme ci comme ça” about mondays. Sometimes I think: “OMG, how can I climb this Mount Everest this week” and other times I’m swinging through the week. OK, enough words. Your salad looks great, I’m afraid of preparing artichokes but maybe your recipe can help to overcome my phobia. And not to forget, your pictures are awesome and I’m in love with your styling props.
A nice and bright week, Sandy
Thanks for sharing a link to the Karin Boye poem, which I’d not read before. The Swedish original is better than the English translation, though. Otherwise, the salad looks delicious–a pity I don’t eat ham!
Depression corner, I can’t find that here.
Love the salad idea – especially that mint idea. Fresh mint in back yard is a weed … that I love to pick!
We can’t find either type of artichokes here…sometimes the big type appears but they are imported so not very fresh. You are lucky to be able to enjoy these!
Lovely, lovely salad!
All the best for 2012 to you and here’s to new beginnings!
Really nice, but I think I am going to use the ready artichokes
Thx for posting this gourmet salad! Raw artichokes here in Italy are a real delight, very very healty and with a delicate taste… so, if anybody didn’t taste it yet, be brave and enjoy!
I totally live the look of that salad Ilva. I do have to confess that I’m not a big artichoke lover. In fact I think they’re nasty little buggers. How’s your frugal month coming along otherwise?