Last year the In-Laws attended the Kentucky Derby for their 50th wedding anniversary. All of the kids pooled resources and put a trip together for them to celebrate, including tickets to the Taste of the Derby which I wrote about in the last post.

Since The Hubs was in charge of actually purchasing the tickets, we get emails from Churchill Downs regularly. I usually ignore them, but this one certainly got my attention:

Churchill Downs Announces Official Menu of 142nd Kentucky Derby

Chef’s Appetizers

*Black and Blue Salad (Heirloom spinach, chicory, blackberry, blue cheese, toasted pecan)

Garden Salad of Petit Lettuce Gems (An array of baby lettuces, lemon poppy seed dressing)

Watermelon Radish Salad (Arugula, almond and mint with Riesling vinaigrette)

Chef’s Sides

Green Beans (Louisville sorghum and bourbon smoked sesame seeds)

Bourbon Pickled Peaches

Chef’s Entrees
Shrimp and Grits (Louisville smoked grits and tasso gravy)

Roasted Chicken Breast (Moonshine spiked raisin sauce)

New York Strip Loin (Truffle sea salt crust)

*Smoked Turkey & Brie (Apple butter on rosemary bread)

Chef’s Desserts
Blackberry Cobbler with Lemon-Rosemary Biscuit Top

White and Dark Chocolate Verrine

Warm Chocolate Crepes, Bourbon Ball Ice Cream & Caramel Pecan Sauce

Bourbon Crème Brulee Tart

Doesn’t this sound delicious?

Since it might be our 50th anniversary before we get to attend the Derby, I decided to make us a special treat inspired by this official menu. All of the above dishes were most worthy for duplicating, but I went perhaps the easy route and wanted to make the Black and Blue Salad with the Turkey & Brie Sandwiches.

Eliot’s Eats Official Stay-at-Home Watch Party Menu for the 142nd Kentucky Derby

Black and Blue (and Red) Salad

Turkey & Brie Sandwiches on Rosemary Bread with Apple Butter

Today I will post my salad recipe based on what those fortunate ones will be noshing on this Saturday in Louisville.

Black and Blue and Red Salad
by Eliot’s Eats

5 oz. fresh spinach
1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
6 oz. fresh blackberries
Red wine vinaigrette (see recipe below)
1/4 c. toasted pecans, optional

Wash spinach and dry well. Place spinach in serving bowl and arrange blue cheese, red onions and blackberries on top. Toss with vinaigrette and garnish with pecans on top.

You can use whatever vinaigrette you like. I like the tang of this Red Wine Vinaigrette.

Red Wine Vinaigrette
by Eliot’s Eats

2 T. red-wine vinegar
2 t. Dijon mustard
1/2 T. Honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper , to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

As you can see, no toasted pecans made it to the top of the salad. Dinner was running late and all my pecans were frozen. 🙁

Stay tuned for my next post as I tackle that Smoked Turkey & Brie Sandwich with Apple butter on Rosemary Bread.

Do you have your bet picked out yet?

I am also linking up to Deb’s Souper Sunday (with Salads and Sammies included).