Yield: 1 Serving

Soups & Salads Vegetarian

MANDY | While we were working on this book, we found some of our old “vintage” menus from about 10 years ago. These were printed on flimsy ream paper, then laminated at Bureau en Gros (Quebec’s equivalent of Staples). And one of the salads we had back then was called Mint Madness! I have always been obsessed with fresh herbs. Each one has a story to tell and a menu you can create around it. Or, in our case, a salad. This beauty of a recipe has been on and off our menu for years, in various incarnations. We love pairing mint with the delicate anise flavor of fennel, and with pear, and salty hardened feta. It’s a joy to play around with the subtlety versus dominance of certain ingredients—grapefruit is an amazing addition, as is watermelon in the peak of summer—and then infuse it all with the highlighted herb, in this case mint.

Note: This summertime salad is perfect with the addition of mock chicken (page 142) or roasted chicken breast (page 149).

  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large stainless-steel bowl. Top with the dressing, and using tongs, toss until well mixed and dressed.

For the Mint Madness Dressing

  • In a blender, combine the vinegar, agave, mustard, lime zest and juice, garlic, and mint leaves. Process on medium-high speed until smooth and well combined, 15 to 20 seconds. Stop the blender and scrape down the sides of the jar with a spatula as needed.
  • With the blender running on low speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified and thickened, about 30 seconds. Add the salt and pepper, adjusting the seasoning to taste. Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
  • This dressing will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

    •