Long ago when Laura and I lived in Colorado Springs there was a restaurant on the corner of Boulder and Tejon streets. It looked like the building was originally a laundry or something. It had brick walls and timber beams inside. It was kind of a health-food oriented place, which was new for the time. Anyway, I don’t remember the restaurant’s name and it is long-gone (building is still there), but I do remember this salad they served, which I have never seen anywhere else and Laura and I make it often because it is so yummy. We had the salad on Saturday along with an amazing tri-tip from a new butcher shop we found. Which we will write about next.
Combine 4 or 5 cups baby spinach, a well-drained small can of mandarin oranges, a dozen or so green pimento-stuffed olives and 2 or 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts. Toss with home-made 1000 Island Dressing and serve immediately.
1000 Island Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
2 Tablespoons finely diced dill pickles (or some pickle relish)
1 teaspoon finely grated onion
salt and pepper to taste
If you like the dressing a bit sweeter you can add some sugar, but I think with the mandarin oranges you don’t need extra sweetness.
