Greens Dressed with Apples and Pine Nuts

“Cersei set a tasty table, that could not be denied. They started with a creamy chestnut soup, crusty hot bread, and greens dressed with apples and pine nuts.” -A Clash of Kings

Greens w/Apples & Pine Nuts

Thoughts:

Wonderful.

I had been putting off many of the salad recipes for lack of inspiration, but no more. This is a terrific salad! The apple slices are the star of the dish, but wouldn’t be nearly as amazing without the cheese and dressing. Creamy cheese between bites of crunchy apple, tangy dressing over soft pine nuts and pomegranate seeds bursting with color: the whole dish is a textural and taste powerhouse that’s as delicious as it is healthy. How could it get any better?

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Autumn Greens and Ginger Soup

“…her young hostages Miklaz and Kezmya were laying out a simple supper of autumn greens and ginger soup for her…” (Dance with Dragons)

Autumn Greens and Ginger Soup

Our Thoughts:

This is a wonderful pairing of dishes for late autumn, or unseasonably warm winter days. Light enough to satisfy a between holidays diet, yet with enough oomph to see you through to the next meal. The small amount of ginger in the salad dressing compliments the heavier ginger in the soup, while the fig flavors in both dressing and on the salad lend the dish an exotic flair.

The soup pairs exceptionally well with some crusty bread and sharp cheese.

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Summer Greens w/grapes and pecans

“This evening they had supped on oxtail soup, summer greens tossed with pecans, grapes, red fennel, and crumbled cheese, hot crab pie, spiced squash, and quails drowned in butter. Lord Janos allowed that he had never eaten half so well.” -A Clash of Kings

Summer Greens Salad w/grapes, pecans, and cheese

Our Thoughts:

There are so many flavors and textures in this salad that it takes one’s brain a while to sort through. The sweetness of grapes and apricot counters the tang of the arugula, while the bite of the fennel gives a flavor that lingers on the tongue. The texture combination of nuts, crunchy fennel, gooey jam, and the pop of grapes will give your palate a great deal to experience.

Recipe available in the Cookbook.

Salad in Castle Black

“‘From the Lord Commander’s own table,’ Bowen Marsh told them. There were salads of spinach and chickpeas and turnip greens, and afterward bowls of iced blueberries and sweet cream.” (I: 372)

Medieval-ish Salad

Our thoughts:

This salad is earthy and quite tasty. The different greens provide a wide variety of flavors; the splash of lemon from the sorrel, the refreshing crispness of the mint, and the classic tangy pairing of oil and vinegar. That said, we weren’t crazy about the oniony greens in the mix. Our big change? Swap out the mushy chickpeas for the crunchy Middle Eastern snack kind. Yum!

Make it at Home!

Sansa Salad

“All the while the courses came and went. A thick soup of barley and venison. Salads of sweetgrass, spinach, and plums, sprinkled with crushed nuts.” -A Game of Thrones

Medieval-ish Salad

Our Thoughts:

This was a tasty, tasty salad. All the elements of it work beautifully with one another both texturally and aesthetically. Pack this for a lunch, or have as a light afternoon meal, and you won’t be disappointed.

Make it at Home!

Salad of Green Beans, Onions and Beets

“The wedding feast began with a thin leek soup, followed by a salad of green beans, onions, and beets…” (III:74)

Medieval Green Bean, Onion and Beet Salad

Modern Green Bean, Onion and Beet Salad

Our thoughts:

We are huge fans of beetroot, in fact they are one of our favorite veg, so we are thrilled to include them in these recipes! The color of these salads alone make them seem really impressive. They are both very similar in terms of presentation, but the taste varies.

The medieval salad tastes…well…medieval. The taste profile is somewhat weak, the strongest flavor coming from the semi-caramelized red onions. The beets taste as boiled beets should, and the green beans wouldn’t be anything without the salt we put on them. Balsamic vinegar is a must to make this dish passable.

We liked the modern salad far better, with the complexities of the thyme making the dish more interesting to eat. Broiling all the veg brought out the sweetness in each one, especially the beets and onions. The balsamic was less of a necessity on this dish, but it finishes the tastes fantastically.

Overall, if you have to choose, choose modern.

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