Cranberry, Feta, Pecan Salad - Ann's Salad

Community Supported Agriculture - We are loving all of the mixed greens and fresh lettuce that we receive each week. This recipe is one of our family favorites. I got the original recipe from my dentist. People joke that she was drumming up business with the sugared pecans!

 I've tweaked her original recipe over the years, like substituting Agave Nectar for sugar in the dressing. A healthier version of course would be to serve the salad topped with plain pecans, not sugared pecans. 

Cranberry, Feta, Pecan Salad - Ann’s Salad

10-12 c. mixed fresh greens or fresh spinach

1 c. dried cranberries

1 c. crumbled feta cheese

Candied pecan topping:

2 c. whole pecans

1c. sugar

Poppy seed dressing:

2 oz. olive oil

2 oz. brown rice vinegar, or rice wine vinegar

2 or more tsp. Agave Nectar

2 or more tsp. poppy seeds

Prepare pecans ahead of time. Have a cookie sheet or wax paper next to the stove ready to use. To prepare pecans, toast the pecans in a skillet over medium heat. Remove the pecans and add the sugar to the skillet. Cook the sugar in a skillet over low-medium heat, stirring constantly. The sugar will crumble, then eventually melt and caramelize. When the sugar is melted, add pecans and stir quickly then turn the pecans and sugar out onto a cookie sheet. Let the pecans cool and then break them apart. This is the hardest part of the recipe, if the heat is too high they will burn.

Combine dressing ingredients, shake and chill.

Combine salad ingredients. Top the chilled salad with the pecans. Serve with the dressing.