Recipe: Artichoke Salad with Balsamic-Lemon Dressing (using mushrooms and sundried tomatoes

ARTICHOKE SALAD

"Jytte, a Danish friend, shared this recipe with me years ago. It quickly became a favorite item in picnics I catered for people attending the music festival at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts - summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra."

FOR THE SALAD:
3 jars (6 ounces each) marinated artichoke hearts with marinade*
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, dried, and sliced
6 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips
4 scallions, thinly sliced, including some green tops
1 medium tomato, seeded and cut into bite-size chunks
1 stalk of celery, sliced
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced

FOR THE DRESSING:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, combine all of the vegetables.

To make the dressing, whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the vegetables.

Let the salad sit in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight. Place in a covered plastic dish and tuck it into your knapsack.

*Late summer is artichoke season on the central California coast. Buy a bag of tiny artichokes, trim the ends off each leaf, cut in half lengthwise, and steam them to use in this salad. They are so small that the chokes usually don't have to be removed.

Makes 8 servings
Source: Picnic by DeeDee Stovel