Celebrate National Rosé Day with this summer recipe

Today is National Rosé Day! We caught up with Maryam Ahmed, Napa-based food and wine advocate, and former director of public programs at the Culinary Institute of America in California, to share her favorite rosé wine-food pairings.

Below is the recipe she demonstrated for viewers during Mornings On 2 Chef by Sandy Sauter of PLAYTE Kitchen. 

Seasonal Summer Salad with Berries

serves 4-6

3 tbsp pickle juice, vinegar-based pickle juice yields a bolder flavor, though fermented pickle juice is quite delicious (just increase the amount by about 1 tbsp)

1 tsp finely minced shallot

½ tsp Dijon mustard

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, as needed

1 large head lettuce, preferably butterhead, red leaf, or green leaf (or a combination), leaves separated, cleaned and dried, chopped or torn if desired

1 small fennel bulb, trimmed of stalks and halved from top to bottom and sliced thinly crosswise

2-3 radishes, sliced very thin

1 pint berries of your choosing, cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces, if necessary

Fresh dill, chopped, as needed for garnish

1) For the dressing, add the pickle juice, shallot, and mustard to a small mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until fully incorporated or emulsified. Add salt and pepper as needed. Set aside.

2) For the salad, combine the lettuce and fennel in a large mixing bowl. Add about 2 Tbls. of the dressing and toss gently to combine. Add the radishes and berries, and more dressing as needed, toss gently once again to combine and lightly coat everything in the dressing. Taste and adjust with additional salt & pepper, if needed. Top the salad with chopped dill and serve.

Wine Pairing: Maker Wine 2020 Rosé of Grenache

Pairing tips: The berries are bountiful in the salad and in this wine! This complementary pairing highlights the fruity notes in this rosé crafted by Santa Cruz Surfer, Nicole Walsh. The wine has an element of strawberries-and-cream, perfect for adding a layer of texture to this fresh dish. If you haven’t gotten around to tasting canned wine yet, this seasonal summer salad could be perfect timing!