Warm spinach salad with scallops, bacon, golden beets & curry-citrus vinaigrette

• 8 medium golden beets, cooked, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 cup chopped crisp bacon (optional)
• 1/2 lb. washed and dried fresh baby spinach leaves
• 3/4 cup curry-citrus vinaigrette (recipe below)
• 1 lb. fresh sea scallops, trimmed of “feet”, rinsed with water and patted dry
• 2 Tb. bacon fat (or butter)

Place the beets, bacon, and spinach leaves in a large bowl. Heat bacon fat or butter in a large non-stick sauté pan over high heat. When hot quickly place all of the scallops in the sauté pan and sear them for a minute or two on both sides until nicely browned and desired doneness is reached (this takes 3-4 minutes, longer if scallops are really large). When scallops have finished cooking, add them to the bowl of spinach and add the vinaigrette to the sauté pan. Remove the sauté pan from the flame and stir the vinaigrette so it heats up. Add the hot vinaigrette to the salad and toss quickly to coat all ingredients evenly. Divide the salad evenly among four serving plates and sprinkle each one with chopped bacon if desired. Serve immediately. Makes four servings. Serve with Schug Sauvignon Blanc.

Curry-Citrus Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 Tb. curry mustard (available at the winery), or 1 tsp.
• curry powder
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• drop or two of Tabasco sauce
• 1 cup salad oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the orange juice and the curry mustard or powder. Add the garlic, ginger and Tabasco, then slowly whisk in the salad oil until nicely blended. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper and set aside enough for the salad recipe. Extra vinaigrette will keep one week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Also very tasty on cut up fresh fruit!