Need Help from Southerners

[cjs]

My friend Ed is doing a Gumbo/rice tasting for the winery Friday nite and the winemaker has asked me to make a salad to wo with...but, I have no idea what kind of salad. I tried searching and I could not believe lots of folks serve mashed potato salad with gumbo. ???? is this right?

I can figure out the salad ingredients, but what kind of dressing would work? I'm hoping I can do something with a reduction from the winery's wine. But don't know which direction flavor-wise to go.

Any help out there?

[Gourmet_Mom]

Jean, I can' help you. I didn't grow up with gumbo and the few times I've made it, I just served a simple salad.

[cjs]

O.K., I've been researching while I wait, oh so patiently and I think I know the direction to go.

salad greens with a small mound of Cajun corn Maque Choux - now, I'm trying to decide the flavoring for vinaigrette....

or a mound of Creole red beans over the salad greens, but the corn sounds better to me - what do you think?

[Gourmet_Mom]

That is so funny! I was going to suggest pickled items like pickled okra, Bill's pickled asparagus (?) or were they green beans and fresh corn and tomatoes and stuff tossed together. But since you were talking salad, I didn't suggest it. I hadn't thought about suggesting that over lettuce. I would definitely go with the Maque Choux and maybe the pickled items on the side. As for a vinaigrette, I haven't a clue....but heavy on the vinegar, I'd think, to cut the richness of the dish it's to accompany. What about a roasted red pepper?

[Old Bay]

I would like slaw with gumbo, or just rice and savory cornbread.

[luvnit]

Jean, I found this wonderful gem at a Southern website:

Louisiana Sunburst Salad, with a cinnamon-Tabasco vinaigrette and port-soaked cranberries, from Chef Robert Bruce at the Palace Café

Here is the site:

Gumbo Pages .com

[edited to show Jean the recipe and picture]
I only wanted you to look at the one, not all dear:

LOUISIANA SUNBURST SALAD

This bright, delicious salad is served by Chef Robert Bruce at the Palace Café on Canal Street in New Orleans -- a beautiful restaurant located in the old Werlein's for Music building and one of my favorites in town. The salad is dressed with an unusual and wonderful cinnamon and Tabasco vinaigrette.

24 ounces mesclun mix (mixed baby lettuces, like mâche, frisée, radicchio, baby spinach, etc.)
2 ounces dried cranberries
2 ounces almonds, sliced and toasted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ounce vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 ounces crumbed Stilton cheese (or blue cheese)
2 ounces ruby port wine
2 ounces raspberry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ounce water
5 dashes of Tabasco

Soak the cranberries overnight in the port.
In a large mixing bowl, add the oil, water, vinegar, Tabasco and cinnamon and whisk until emulsified. Add the lettuces and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

Separate the greens onto four plates and garnish each salad with crumbled cheese, cranberries and almonds.

Yield: 4 salads

[cjs]

Bill, I'm not in charge and Ed is making the rice and everything else...I'm lucky to have the salad station (I think. ) I have to offer a salad.

Oh Laura, I can't look at all of them now, but Wow! just WOW thank you so much. I'll be back in the a.m.

Thanks everyone.

[Gourmet_Mom]

Laura, that looks really good! And it has the port that Jean could sub their new dessert wine for. I still like the Marque Choux idea and/or the pickled veggie platter, but I'd have a hard time deciding between the two.

[Mare749]

The salad looks spectacular. I'd go with that one.

[DFen911]

My vote is for that salad too! Wow that looks so good