Staying Fit
Serves 6
Total time to prepare: 45 minutes
Sometimes you just want a salad that seems fancy, and this salad seems fancy. The roasted grapes give it a silky sweetness that you almost can’t put your finger on, the candied nuts supply a satisfying crunch, the dressing — laden with mustard and apple cider vinegar — makes it intriguing, and the cheese … well, it’s cheese — everybody loves cheese. Annnd, I think that’s the longest run-on sentence in this book. Basically, this is a good salad. You will like it. Feel free to buy the candied pecans — no need to make them if you don’t want to!
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Ingredients
Roasty Grapes (makes 1 cup)
- 2 cups large seedless red grapes, stems removed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon coarsely chopped rosemary leaves
Candied Pecans (makes 2 cups)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
- 4 teaspoons water
- 2 cups raw unsalted pecans
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
Dressing (makes ½ cup)
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped (about 1½ tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped thyme
- 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons apple cider
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Pinch of sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Very Adult Salad
- 6 ounces baby arugula
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more to finish
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to finish
- 1 cup roasty grapes
- 1½ cups chopped candied pecans
- ½ cup shaved pecorino romano