Mama would be proud.

I'm pretty excited that the 'rents finally decided to do something with the 1/2 acre of open, albeit sloped, land that surrounds the house. I wanted them to plant vines (marsanne/roussane please) but they opted for something simpler and easier. Local staples and a few different varietals of fig trees are in the works. However, with big landscaping renovations some tasty produce had to go, and pounds and pounds of garden fresh arugula came my way, (100% organic of course). Mama gave me the greens and I whipped up a little salad that would make frenchmen from Pouilly Fumé to Provence salivate. So here it is, a classic bistro style arugula salad:

Dressing:

3 parts Olive Oil
1 part Juice of Fresh Ruby Red Grapefruit
2 partsWhite Balsamic Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar
small clove crushed Garlic
1 part Whole Seed Dijon Mustard
Salt
Pepper

Add all ingredients to taste in mixing bowl and stir until desired consistency is met.
Salad Base:

6-10 oz arugula (about 1/2 of a packed freezer bag)
1/2 Slivered Grapefruit

Mix in and toss

A cou tre mon:

When well tossed plate on standard entrée plate and add:

1 medium sized canelle of chevré
2+ oz of yellowfin tuna packed in olive oil (can get this at trader joes)
Julienned Roasted Piquillo Peppers (to taste)
1/2 Marcona Almonds to taste
Dusting of Dried Dill
Cracked Pepper to Taste

Notes: I feel this is a dish that is somewhat of a blank canvas - easy to refine to your taste. Focus on the dressing and main components first and leave the final elements 'till later. It can be served in a family style format (i.e. large bowl) or better yet, on a plate with the A cou tre mon, plated as finishing elements. Experiement and Enjoy!

Wine:

I paired this dish with an '08 Pouilly-Fume (Sauvignon Blanc) from the Loire Valley in France (also purchased at Trader Joes for $10 and it was delicious). For those that don't know, Pouilly-Fume is one of the premier regions for sauvignon blanc at the south eastern end of the Loire Valley. Clean, dry, whites come from here with a minerality that you will almost never find in New Zealand Sauv Blanc. I feel this dish had a bit too much sweetness to stand up to the acidity in the wine. Regardless, spicy/bitter greens and goat cheese always pair phenomenally with high acid, high minerality, dry whites from the old world. I would recommend anyone to experiment with any loire valley wines as I feel, it is one of the most underrated regions in the world.

Cheers and Bon Appetit!