Foodie Friday: Sunflowers & Greens
EASTON, Md. – Nothing says summer like a fresh salad; Light, refreshing, and a quick meal for when you’re on the go. At Sunflowers & Greens in Easton, freshness is the name of the game.
Seasonally Driven, Light Yet Luscious
At this seasonally-driven spot, you can either order one of their crowd favorites, or get creative and make your own combination.
“This was our first entity of about nine at this point. We’ve been open for about eight or nine years,” said Bluepoint Hospitality Executive Chef Harley Peet. “Beautiful salads, wraps daily. We have house made naan that we grill every morning, and prepare one type of sandwich per day, just to kind of compliment our sandwich shop on the block.”
The ingredients are as good as you can get, and the combinations are endless. “We try to source as locally as we can, seasonality driven,” said Chef Peet. “Just kind of whatever is the best available. We’re not locked into anything.”
Endless Options, Countless Combinations
Any good salad starts with the leafy greens. And given that they’re in the namesake, there’s a lot to choose from. “We can choose, mix and match different lettuces, from local leaf lettuce to local kale in early spring and late fall. Napa cabbage, romaine lettuce, beautiful watercress, classic ice burg for the old fashioned stuff,” said Chef Peet.
And, when it comes to the protein, “The breed, and the way that the animal is raised, we pay attention to that in all of our proteins,” said Chef Peet. “When they’re just handled, and produced, and cooked in pristine, straightforward ways, let them work. Let them do their magic by themselves.”
Customers can choose from seared sashimi grade Ahi tuna, wild Gulf shrimp, pork loin from North Carolina, all natural Delaware chicken breast, apple wood smoked bacon, and 24-month aged Prosciutto di Parma from Italy – the real deal.
Don’t forget the toppings. “Dried fruits, vegetables, nuts, cheeses, onto the dressing,” said Chef Peet.
Go Your Own Way, Signature Salads
The options are enough to make you spend an extra minute in line, considering. Foodie Photog Mike opted for Sunflowers & Greens’ signature poached pear salad.
“Starting off with some local leaf lettuce, a little baby spinach,” said Chef Peet. “Maple roasted Cheshire pork. House made poached pears. These have been poached in red wine, port, orange juice from our juice bar, and some orange zest. Adding in some toasted pecans, a little bit of Vermont goat cheese. You have the sweet, and acidity from the goat cheese, richness in texture rom pecans. Then we finish it with our house made balsamic dressing.”
“That was a thing that I didn’t know I needed until I tried it, which was fruit in salad,” said Mike as he took his first few bites. “As you chew that goat cheese, it’s creamy but it’s interesting. The acidity plays very interestingly with that little bit of funk in the goat cheese.”
Foodie Host Hannah opted to make their own creation: spinach, arugula, red watercress, chicken, avocado, dried cranberries, strawberries, and don’t forget the goat cheese. Splash some red wine vinaigrette, too.
“I really, really like this watercress. It is a little bit spicy. It’s an interesting flavor, and it’s not something that you’ve tried before, it’s like a nice little surprise,” Hannah said. “The goat cheese and the avocado have kind of like mixed together a bit, which is creating a really nice, creamy texture, and also a mild flavor with a little hint of an edge to it from the goat cheese.”
Sunflowers & Greens
Sunflowers & Greens is located at 11 Federal Street, Easton, Md. You can call them at 410-822-7972. If you go to check it out, tell the team that you saw them on Foodie Friday.
