Avocado Crab and Salsa tower salad
Makes a pretty presentation whether as appetizer or light main.
MTT - about 1 hour of prep. Served as main-dish - I made half recipe and layered (salsa/crab/avocado) in 5 in x 2 in ‘grab-it’ bowls, then inverted each bowl on plate, added vinaigrette, omitted basil. Served with naan bread.
For appetizer size : Artichark said “Easy assembly – avocado on bottom, crab salad, then salsa. Use 3 inch ring or 3-inch PVC pipe cut to 2 ½ - 3 inch lengths to form each stack. Can be made ahead and kept in fridge until ready to serve.”
Crab salad has 3 Tbsp evoo, 1 Tbsp champagne vinegar, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp mayo, 12 oz. lump crabmeat, salt and pepper. Whisk the evoo, vinegar, mustard, s &p together in a small bowl. Mix 3 Tbsp with the mayo. Add the crabmeat and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Set aside the rest of the vinaigrette until later.
Avocado salsa has 3 ripe avocados, 1/4 tsp ground coriander, Tbsp lime juice, salt and pepper. Toss everything in a medium bowl and set aside. Make this last or as close to service as possible.
The gazpacho salsa has 1/2 cup cored, seeded and 1/8 -inch (all the diced produce is the same size) diced yellow bell peppers, 1/2 cup peeled, seeded and diced cucumber, 1/2 cup seeded and diced roma tomatoes, 1/2 cup diced celery (MTT- just used Beau Monde celery salt), 1/4 cup diced red onion (MTT subbed red pepper), 1/2 small stemmed, seeded and minced jalapeño (MTT halved this), 1 Tbsp chopped basil, 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1Tbsp sherry vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss everything but the basil and set aside until ready. Add the basil right before service.
To make the towers, put the avocado salsa on the bottom of the form, crabmeat salad is next and the gazpacho salsa is added last. Gently lift the form. Drizzle some extra dressing around the plate, add the basil, and serve
CH Articshark Oct 1 2015
Maybe Thursday’s leftover personal-sized St Hubert tourtières (a frozen tourtière from a regular chain grocery store). Boston lettuce salad with Renee’s Greek feta dressing from a jar. Not sure what to do with the celery that has become a little limp, probably will braise it.
