Brandywine Table: Falling for Fall Salads

Fall salads are as crisp as the autumn air and should not be underestimated. Just because temperatures drop, don’t put your salad bowl in storage. Autumn’s bounty includes great produce to let you continue enjoying your greens — as stand-alone dishes or to balance fall’s heartier comfort food.

When curating salads for fall, Josh Taggart, executive chef and owner of Mae’s West Chester, a farm-to-table restaurant (liquor license pending), loves to take advantage of the abundance of locally grown apples, pears, squash and pumpkins. And he’ll often add warming spices that reflect the season, such as cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon, to his other seasonal dishes.

In addition to being excited to welcome the change of seasons, Taggart enjoys crafting new menus featuring the latest bounty from Lancaster Farm Fresh Coop, Chadds Ford’s SIW Farm and Solidago Farm outside West Chester that show up in hearty fall salads — think beets, yams, butternut squash and grains like quinoa, farro and rye berries. The season also calls for heartier greens — kale and radicchio — that make regular appearances on Mae’s salad plates.

Go-to dressings to complement the tastes of the season range from creamy horseradish dressing to rich balsamic. Taggart’s favorite dressing has a reduced cider base and features fresh thyme.

Taggart’s culinary creations often have an unusual take on the expected for the season, such as using Mountain Rose apples from Lancaster Farm Fresh for a baby kale salad. Many salad makers would automatically resort to the more easily accessible Honeycrisp, a standard, reliable fall salad ingredient that’s on many Chester County tables. Instead, the colorful flesh of Mountain Rose apples adds a welcome and enticing pop to the plate.

Taking the time to toast nuts, roast pumpkin seeds and finely slice crunchy cabbage is worth the extra effort given the satisfaction from pairing these ingredients with an unforgettable dressing that complements the textual treats that await in fall salads.

If you’re in a time crunch, you can’t go wrong pairing spicy arugula with sliced heirloom tomatoes — both plentiful at farmers markets through November — and topped with freshly shaved Parmesan. A quality extra virgin olive oil, splash of lemon juice, cracked pepper and salt are all you need to dress these ingredients and bring flavors together for a satisfying, freshtasting and fast side salad for your main course on a fall evening.

Read on for inspiring salad recipes that will make you want to bring out a cozy sweater to pair with your favorite oaky chardonnay.

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