When I lived in Manhattan I lived on this salad.
I would pick it up at Dean & Deluca if I was downtown or Zabars if I was uptown. Every gourmet deli sold a version of it. My favorites were the ones that tasted like Dorie's salad.
Because Dorie's recipe is primarily Dijon mustard the sweetness of the carrots are not overwhelming. When I have had this salad with a sweet dressing I usually can only eat a few bits of it, especially if it contained sweet raisins too.
Speaking of raisins, I thought I had currants on hand, but when I took them down from the cupboard the container said: cranberries. Well, I put 1/2 cup of dried cranberries in the microwave covered in water for 2 minutes and let them sit until I had the dressing and the carrots ready. I added them into the salad and they were wonderful. I like the cranberries more in the salad than the traditional raisins because their tartness counters the sweetness of the carrots.
My husband couldn't stop eating the salad. My daughter thought there should be more "stuff" in it. My teenage son said, "I don't hate it." which qualifies as a compliment these days. And I enjoyed the flashback memories of being in my 20's and hanging out alone eating a quick meal before I went out clubbing...
It's nice when you find something that everyone can agree on...
ReplyDeleteI don't recall the food of my college days in Philly being quite so virtuous.
I've always been a bit of a "health nut".
DeleteI love a good carrot and raisin salad, but not a fan of the one with a lot of mayo. This one looks a lot like mine - Dijon, and then I add orange juice that I've re-hydrated the raisins with. So Good!!!! Don't you just love the comment "I don't hate it." :)
ReplyDeleteLove the citrus idea, oh yes I've had this salad with mayo it's awful.
DeleteRehydrating in orange juice sounds great. I like the idea of adding a citrus note to the dish. Do you have a teenager too? "I don't hate it."
ReplyDeleteLooks delish. I made something like this once with grated carrot, apple, and raisins with lemon juice. I've been meaning to try it again and perfect it. Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteYou say lemon mj says orange juice... have to experiment.
DeleteLOL on the family reviews...especially the "I don't hate it" one...sounds like days past here, no matter what one makes, there is always one who says, "Not my favorite." LOL...good memories. Your salad is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait until, "I don't hate it." is part of days past. Teens are tough.
DeleteBeautiful salad, Diane! Have a great weekend! :)
ReplyDeleteIt´s good to have your whole family agree on a healthy salad! Enjoy the weekend!
ReplyDeleteYour salad looks terrific:) Glad your family like it. Have a nice weekend:)
ReplyDeleteI lived on Long Island for years and this salad could be found in just about any deli you stopped in…then I found a recipe that was similar and for years this has been a family favorite!! I loved Dories dressing…very fresh tasting! Your salad looks wonderful…so glad it was enjoyed by (mostly) all!! Have a great weekend, Diane!
ReplyDeleteI had to giggle at your son's comment...I can see my youngest saying that, too! I'm going to have to make this after all...but I think I'll use craisins :)
ReplyDeleteCraisins now that's inspiration!
DeleteYou're so sweet, Diane! And, you're right, we do have a lot of dishes - LOL! We really enjoyed this & will definitely make it again. Have a lovely weekend!
ReplyDeleteEveryone seems to have a story to go with this salad but you win, hands now, for having had a blast with your carrot food salad memory: 20s, Manhattan, clubing. Yes, I bet cranberries were good. Also think dried tart cherries would be also. My carrots were just out of the ground and very sweet. I added raisins but had cherries on hand. Wish I'd used them.
ReplyDeleteI didn't mention that I lived with a model too. It was quite a seen hanging out with such tall skinny people. People always laugh when they meet me now and my husband tells them I was such a "party girl" when he meet me. "But your'e so preppy and Connecticut now." I really always was... I just returned to my roots when I got out of the city.
DeleteTart cherries... I like that.
Love the comments from your family members, and the clubbing memories. Have a good weekend!
ReplyDeleteThis salad reminds me of my twenties, too. Funny that such a simple dish has been so evocative for many of us. I like the idea of cranberries with this.
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed how many people have memories of this week's salad. It's completely new to me. Your salad looks lovely. I used walnuts instead of fruit in mine.
ReplyDeleteDiane, nice and colorful presentation of your carrot salad and a wonderful story too! We love freshly grated carrot salad at our house and eat it on a weekly basis, so we loved this recipe of Dorie´s!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Sunday!
Good to know. I eyed my dried cranberries while making this salad, but then decided to stick with the original this week. But I'll definitely try them next time.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a gorgeous salad. I love carrot salad and I don't make it often enough!
ReplyDelete